Reality
by CrystalPegasus
Summary: §Complete§ AU fic, Hikaru, Umi and Fuu are in college, none of them know each other, but they're called to Cephiro to aid the country and must pull together despite their differences. Eagle is ordered to tempt Umi, but will Clef stand for it? LHE UC FF
1. Chapter One

Chapter One

Umi Ryuuzaki's eyes threatened to betray her as she forced the tears in and stared at them plainly as they teased her.

"Sleep with one of the professors or something?" 

"How can a ditz like her get such a good grade?"

"Her daddy makes a lot of money, the school has to pass her."

She just watched and listened calmly though her heart screamed. She worked hard to earn her grades, just because she was pretty didn't mean that they had to tease her so. She wanted to tell them this except she knew that they would just laugh. She set her jaw firmly and stayed silent, accepting their torture with a calm gaze. 

"Don't have anything to say back?" one girl taunted cruelly. "But aren't you smart? You got a hundred on that chemistry test, _advanced_ chemistry. You should at least know something to say."

She turned her head and walked down the hall, never turning back though she heard them laugh and call her names behind her back. 

When she turned the hall she began to sprint back to her dorm, knowing that she would never be able to sit through her next class. She skipped it though it was her favorite; their cruel names and taunting forced her away. 

She stopped only when she ran into someone and fell to the ground, her books skidding across the floor. 

"Watch where you're going," a male voice hissed, and she looked up to see lavender hair.

"G-gomen," she muttered and began to collect her books. 

He looked at her curiously, "Uh…"

"Oh, sorry," she corrected herself.

"Your English is very good," he commented and handed her one of her books. His eyes skinned the title, Origin of Species. 

"Thanks," she took it hurriedly.

"No problem, bump into me again would you?" he teased, and she glared and walked down the hall. "Sheesh," he mumbled and shook his head, walking the other direction. 

When she was in the safety of her dorm she slammed the door to her room and crumpled into a ball on the floor near her bed. She leaned against the bed as tears began to pour from her eyes. She slammed her fist into the mattress, and it shuddered in her wake. Had it not been next to a wall it would have fallen.

"Umi!" someone called from the door to her small dorm room. "Umi, did I hear you come in?" 

"In here Cal," Umi called, and a girl emerged and looked at her roommate in sympathy. "You can't take everything they say so personally."

"I know," she wiped her tears and smiled a convincing smile.

"Come here," Caldina sat next to Umi and gave her a hug. "Don't worry about them, they're Americans, what do you expect?" 

Umi laughed weakly, "You and your philosophies."

"Hey, they're true," she pointed a finger that made Umi laugh. "Don't you have a Literature class to be in anyway?"

Umi nodded, "But I don't know if I can face them just now."

"Don't worry about them, just pretend you don't see them. Even better, say something nice to them. You don't know they're going to be in your classes anyway. It's a new semester; you have new classes, go make some friends. Who knows, maybe even a boyfriend?" she hinted and winked before standing.

"Come on Cal, you know that I don't have time for that," Umi informed her as she stood as well and smoothed the light blue skirt she was wearing out.

"Ah ah ah, but you should," she tisked her, making her laugh again, before she walked to the bathroom to wash her face and comb her hair. She grabbed her books and ran out, thanking her roommate as she did.

"Now," Caldina sighed and looked around. "I know that History book is somewhere…"

Fuu Hououji timidly walked into her first Literature class of the year. It was one of her worst subjects, getting only an average of about a ninety-eight percent in it compared to the hundreds she received in math and science. She walked nervously into the class and heard a few whispers.

"Valedictorian," someone turned to her and smiled, wanting to be on her good side. When you know someone smart you get to go to a lot more parties.

"Fuu Hououji, she's studying to be a doctor. Her family is really famous for having the genius gene."

"She's so reclusive though; I haven't seen her at one party this year."

"She isn't even in a sorority," one of the girls scoffed and turned her head.

Fuu found a spot in the front, and the teacher smiled at her. She smiled back; she didn't know him, but all the teachers knew about her. They talked at lunch and told one another about the exceptional students that they should look forward to having-her name was on all their tongues. 

She pulled out her copy of A Midsummer Night's Dream and flipped through the pages, checking off some spots to memory. She pulled a pencil and a pad of paper from her book bag and set her eyes on the teacher and the blackboard, ignoring all their talk.

She hated it when they spoke about her like she couldn't hear them. She was smart, but she wasn't deaf. She didn't think it was very nice of them to say anything about her when she worked twice as hard as any of them. English wasn't even her primary language and still she did better than them.

'Now Fuu,' she scolded herself, 'don't look down upon them just because they don't work as hard as you. Not everyone can stand to be locked in her dorm room for six hours straight. College is just as much social as academic.'

She smiled at the thought; at least she was getting an education. She had to work hard for the full scholarship she received; she wasn't about to waste it partying non-stop and never doing anything productive. Just because that was the accepted belief of college didn't mean she was going to abide by it. She was who she was, and their words weren't going to change anything for her. 

She breathed deep and kept herself focused; it was going to be a long class.

Hikaru Shidou flew around the corner and came sprawling into the class, panting. An apology was all ready on her lips as she bowed furiously to the teacher who watched her with mild interest. A small smile crossed his lips when she did one final deep bow and stayed in the doorway.

"Forgive me sir, but I couldn't find the class, please, feel free to reprimand me in anyway you want." 

He laughed a bit out loud and told her to take a seat, that class was just beginning. She looked up at him; a bit confused, but nodded and took her seat. Maybe he just didn't want to punish her in front of the whole class; she smiled- what a nice man.

"First off, welcome to Classic English literature," he smiled a dashing smile, and Hikaru sighed. She hated English; it was by far her worst subject. She guessed her teachers had either made a mistake putting her in this class, or they had simply wanted to torture her. There was no way out of it though, she was in this class, and she would have to live with it. 

She turned her attention back to the teacher who was speaking once more, "Second, there are no traditional rules in this class except, I am the teacher, and you will treat me with some kind of respect. Do _not_ interrupt me, under any circumstances. I don't care if you're late or on time; I don't care if you don't ever show up. Finals will be handed out, as well as midterms; you miss them you fail. There are no make-ups, if you are dying and need to crawl off your deathbed to take them, you will do so, or you'll fail. Other than that, I look forward to a good year."

Hikaru gulped, this was going to be a _very_ long year.

Umi took a seat next to a girl with blond hair and green eyes. Her eyes were hindered by glasses that made her look smarter than she all ready was, and she quickly realized who this was. She sat next to her main competitor, though there was no competition. Since Umi had been going to Westminster College she had been constantly outdone in grades by one Fuu Hououji, and here she was, in the flesh. She had never been able to beat this girl's natural genius, and she knew she never would. It was fun trying though, and it was something to aim for. 

She was just staring at her rival when a girl with flaming red hair in a braid down her side flew through the door and began her quick apology. Umi's eyes narrowed and then brightened when she saw the traditional apology of Japan. She saw Fuu Hououji's eyes dart towards the girl too and smile happily. 

As the girl sat near them the teacher began his lecture which lasted a few minutes. They both looked to the girl who gulped heavily and hid a giggle behind a hand. 

"Never before in my career have I had the privilege of teaching not only one or two, but _three_ Japanese students in my class," he turned to the three girls in the front who looked down when everyone turned to them. "Konichiwa." 

Fuu looked a bit shocked, and Hikaru smiled warmly.

"Your accent is horrible," Umi sounded a bit disgusted and looked down from him.

"Thanks for that input, Ms. Ryuuzaki is it?" He smiled at her despite her comment. She thought she would maybe make the people think otherwise if she was mean to the teachers right off the bat. "Your reputation precedes you," here he flashed her another grin, and a few people stifled giggles and snickers.

She turned her head down and closed her eyes, trying to force it away.

"I look forward to learning from you three," he opened the book and began. 

The class moved at a slow pace, mostly discussing vocabulary and elements of Shakespearean writing. Umi and Fuu sighed wistfully when he mentioned Romeo and Juliet, and Hikaru pulled her head from her notes long enough to see them exchange glances and turn back to the professor. 

That was the only exchange any of them had throughout the class. When the bell rang, they rushed out. As they walked outside, Hikaru was embraced by a large circle of friends, teasing her about being late. Fuu was also attacked, but by admirers who wanted to know the secret of success, and would she please be their study partner? Umi sighed, 'there goes that philosophy,' she thought to herself. She had genuinely believed that they didn't like her because she was Japanese, but the other two were accepted well enough.

"Hey babe," a boy by the name of Jason came close to her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Baka," Umi hissed and pushed him away.

"I love it when you speak to me like that," he whispered near her ear; he was obviously all ready drunk.

"I'm not your girlfriend, get away," she pushed him away again, and he glared and drew his hand back. He spun when a strong hand stopped him.

"I believe she asked you to leave her alone," a vicious voice said to him when he turned.

"Hey man," Jason smiled.

"Jason?" the one who had saved her seemed astonished. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Nothing," the boy flashed Umi a grin. "We were just discussing her English paper, isn't that right?"

Umi turned her head and refused to answer.

"I thought you knew better than to raise your hand to a woman."

"Sorry, sorry, it won't happen again. I gotcha I gotcha," he turned and walked back down the hall he had come from, shooting Umi a glance that said, 'I'm not finished with you.'

She sighed heavily and looked at her watch, what a day. 

"Are you okay?" She hadn't even realized he was still there until he spoke, and she was forced to look up.

"Yeah, fine," she mumbled softly.

"I was scared for a minute that he hit you," he shuddered.

"No, and if he had I would have hit him back. I didn't need you to save me," she spat right back, ignoring his astonished stare.

"If you were so strong you wouldn't have said that I saved you," he retorted, after a moment's shock.

She then looked at him again and realized it was the same guy she had run into in the hallway before. "Whatever, I have a class; I don't have time to play word games with you."

"Fine, I'll remember to let him attack you next time," he glared fiercely at her back as she turned and walked away from him.

Fuu sighed heavily as she set down the book that she was reading again. She loved it every time, if only she could live in another world and be able to use magic and ride horses and fight evil monsters. That would be a life worth living. Instead she was a nerd who lived in a book about a life she could only fantasize. What used to be the only thing that could cheer her had somewhere turned into a dreary little world that she could never live in. Its bright characters and colorful places hadn't dulled in the least, no, they had only gotten brighter. It seemed to outshine her world ten to one though, and it made coming out of her world all the harder.

She put the book in her bag sadly and was about to leave when she heard someone bellowing on the other side of the library, "Ferio! Are you sleeping again? How are you ever going to pass Calculus when you sleep when you're supposed to be doing homework?" 

She giggled behind a hand as the librarian stood, "That's okay," she urged the woman to continue helping the person she was with. "I'll tell them."

"Arigato, Fuu," she used the word Fuu had taught her hesitantly.

"Very good," Fuu smiled brightly and walked to the other side of the library, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

She walked to the place where she had heard the noise coming from and found a girl with blond hair in a high ponytail yelling at a guy with cat-like gold eyes and green hair. When he looked up she saw he had a narrow scar on his face that only made him look more attractive. She soon found herself blushing as she weakly approached. She hoped she would be able to find her voice for this handsome stranger.

"Hi," she managed a small introduction, enough to make both people turn. He shot her a grin, and she blushed deeper. The girl looked her over, then smiled.

"Sorry, we'll keep it down. I realize other people are trying to _study_," she emphasized the word while glaring at the man. 

He smiled innocently back, "Presea, honestly, I can't get anything done with you constantly hovering over me."

"You really can't get anything done when you're _sleeping_," she growled angrily, flaring her nimble arms.

"Um…" Fuu blushed when they once again realized her presence. "You see, the librarian is a bit angry at all the noise you two are making; I just wanted to warn you." 

"Angry? Well look Presea, we oughta go, I mean, if she's angry…" his eyes glinted in mischief, a real cat look. 

"Oh no, you're going to stay here and memorize these formulas." 

He sighed heavily and nodded.

"Now…" she began to instruct him once more, and he only looked at Fuu one more time before she turned and left. His eyes were warm, but they were more pleading. It was a 'let me out of this,' look, and Fuu smiled back sympathetically before she turned and left.

She sighed on her way out, probably his girlfriend. She muttered miserably and realized she hadn't been out on a date since her junior year in high school. This was what, her senior year in college? 

"Jeez, I need to get out more," she muttered and remembered she had a biology test the next day and rushed to finish studying. 

"Uh! I just don't get it!" Hikaru sighed heavily as she danced around the man in front of her.

"What's there to get Hikaru? There's a book, and you read it," the man joked with her. She was one of the only people who could get him to both speak and smile. 

She grinned back at him, "That's easy for you to say Lantis, you're not taking English Literature."

"No, but I did," he blocked her swing easily, and she glared at him for being able to talk and block at the same time. 

"Oh that's right, you're getting your masters now," she scoffed. "What kind of person goes for a masters before they're even into the world?"

"I want to go into the world with a good education," his words ended their conversation. The rest of the time was spent with skillful maneuvers, blocks and swings, strokes and parries. 

When they were both equally tired, and no one had claimed a victory, they called it quits and put away their practice swords. Hikaru couldn't believe that an English school would have Kendo, but she was grateful. She guessed that this school catered to all kinds of different people. 

They walked out, laughing and joking, and ran into some other friends. When Lantis saw them he immediately stopped talking and gained his calm, unchangeable expression. Hikaru pondered for a minute just why he did that around them, but not her, then decided it was his business and suggested they get ice cream. Lantis excused himself and went towards his dorm.

"Oooh Hikaru," someone cooed, and Hikaru looked up, confused.

"He likes you," another added. "He still likes you; I can't believe that." 

"What are you talking about?" Hikaru laughed. "We're just friends, and you all know it." 

"Yeah you're probably right," someone added sarcastically.

"Exactly right Hikaru."

She glared defiantly but let them drop the subject. She didn't want to think about Lantis like that; they were just good friends.


	2. Chapter Two

A/N- sorry to anyone who tried to review anonymously when I set up the account it automatically blocked anonymous reviews. I fixed it though, so feel free to review. 

Chapter Two

Lantis sighed heavily and looked up at his ceiling aimlessly. His apartment was off-campus, but he could hear noise from the university nearby. Right now though the sound made no difference; he was deep in thought. In his last year, almost finished his masters he was falling in love. He had never considered what this might mean until now. How was he supposed to go up to Hikaru and just say, "By the way, I'm in love with you."

He almost hit himself for even thinking it. 

The only thing that made him stir was a gentle noise from the other room, a voice, "Lantis? Lantis, you here?"

His heart seemed to leap into his throat when he walked into the living room and found Hikaru. His roommate was smiling as he walked out of the door, bowing slightly to Hikaru. "Hikaru." His voice was choked; he quickly cleared it when she looked at him curiously. "What brings you here?"

"Well…" she sighed and shifted the load in her hands, making the smell drift to him. She offered him the box, and he peered inside, his favorite, mushrooms and pepperoni. He grinned at her and urged with his eyes for her to continue. "You said you did all this Shakespeare stuff, and we have to read the first part of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and I thought you could help me find the deeper meaning of it."

He nodded, setting the pizza on the coffee table. He went into the small kitchen and got glasses and soda, letting himself a tiny grin.

He came outside to find her staring at a picture on his side table. His heart clenched in his chest when she picked it up and gently ran her fingers across it. He watched her for a minute before he cleared his throat. She turned and smiled at him, her face brightened when she did. She set the picture back down, and he looked at an image of the two of them together outside the school. They sat on a courtyard bench, both smiling.

"I love that picture of you," she informed him. "You're smiling."

He gave her a small smile and sat next to her on the floor as they munched on a piece of pizza. 

After the first piece the mood changed to school as he picked up her copy of the book, "So how do you like it?"

"I hate it," she muttered, and he looked confused. "What?"

"Most girls love this stuff," he informed her.

"Yeah, I would, but I don't really understand it. I mean I understand the words and the language, but keeping the characters straight is impossible. They all have basically the same names," she sighed and stared at the names, two of the main characters, dialogue went between them constantly, who was who anymore? Helena and Hermia, the names didn't vary at all for her.

"Well…" he looked for a better way to help her. "Well, it's not much different from Hikaru and Hikari." 

"But they're totally different!" she protested.

"Not to me," he looked at her gravely, and she realized that maybe the language was her problem. Lantis was English and saw very little difference between her name and her dog's; she was Japanese and saw very little different between the names of the two women. "So you could change their names in your head, make them something different, something you'll know them apart by. Call Helena Hikaru and called Hermia Hikari." 

Hikaru shook her head and giggled, "I could never do that."

"Why not?" he looked perplexed.

"Because Helena, I think, is supposed to be beautiful right? To have these two dudes after her, and Hermia is evil. I'd rather call Helena Emeraude and Hermia Alcione."

"Why those?" he inquired, feeling she had a deeper meaning. 

"Well, there's an old Japanese legend about a princess from another realm. She was very beautiful, but she was trapped and lonely. You see, to keep her realm alive she had to constantly pray for the safety and well-being of her people, forsaking her own happiness. There was her head priest though, Zagato. He loved her, and she loved him, but they couldn't be together. Now, Alicione, she loved Zagato too, and hated Emeraude for stealing his affections. She fought the Magic Knights, the saviors of the Princess, in order to help her master Zagato, who had been driven by love into insanity and captured Emeraude, imprisoning her. Alicione did this to gain his love.

"Eventually, Alicione was defeated by the Magic Knight of Water, a beautiful girl with an ever-changing personality. She fought them all with a hidden desire to save her secret love, the Master Mage of the realm, whom they had captured and imprisoned.

"The story ends sadly though. It turns out that the Magic Knights had come to help the Princess commit suicide. She and her lover are killed by their hands, and they are banished from the other realm, back to the earth, with their guilt and lost loves.

"I guess," she finished her sad tale looking down, "it shows that true love isn't always easy."

"Hikaru, that's it," Lantis smiled a little at her.

"What's it?" she asked in between a piece of pizza.

"That's the point of A Midsummer Night's Dream, true love isn't easy. You understand it fine; you just need to relate it to something you're comfortable with," Lantis explained to her patiently, waiting for it to all fall into place. Eventually, it did.

"Oh!" she exclaimed as the whole book tumbled through her mind, and a light bulb went on. "Wow!"

He smiled at her, and she blushed, "You are an amazement."

She grinned and thanked him. "I am the only one who can make you smile."

"You can make anyone smile."

She thanked him again and looked at the box. She must have been hungrier than she thought, because between the two of them they had eaten almost the whole pizza.

*

Hikaru said goodnight to Lantis and shut the door of his apartment, slinging her book bag over her shoulder and sighing to herself.

She liked to think she and Lantis were just friends, but…she wanted more. The question that raced through her mind now was, did he? Was she brave enough to find out? She had lived her life being bouncy and lighthearted, but whenever he was around she plunged into a world where words, and courage, seemed to fail her. She had never not been sure of herself, and now she felt timid and shy. Sure she could pretend, but it didn't seem entirely right and not at all fair. 

But she didn't want to lose what she had, so pretending was okay for now. 

She could pretend to keep him near. She sighed heavily, something she very rarely did and walked into her dorm room.

"Hey Hikaru! Where have you been?" she turned and met the voice.

"Over at Lantis'; he was helping me with a book for English Literature," Hikaru answered her roommate, Presea, who smirked slightly but refused to answer Hikaru's questions at the gesture. 

"So besides Lantis, anything interesting happen today?" Presea teased, making Hikaru blush.

"Well actually, there are two other Japanese girls in my Lit. Class."

"Umi Ryuuzaki and Fuu Hououji?" Presea inquired.

"Uh huh, how'd you know?" Hikaru grabbed a soda and opened it.

"They both have reputations around here, _very_ different reputations."

"Oh Presea you know I don't listen to that," Hikaru looked at the soda in distaste, "Diet?"

Presea disregarded both comments. "Umi, well she's pretty, and popular with the teachers…" she began.

"Yeah, our Lit. Professor said her reputation preceded her."

"Oh Hikaru," Presea sighed, "in a bad way."

Hikaru's jaw dropped, "No!" 

Presea nodded, "But Fuu Hououji, she didn't need daddy's money, and doesn't use her body or beauty, she got a scholarship. She's very smart, but kinda reclusive," she gave Hikaru the scoop.

"Aw Presea, that's not nice."

"True though, I met Fuu Hououji today myself. I was _trying_ to help Ferio out with his homework when she came over and told us we were too loud. 

"Ferio seemed quite taken with her, but you know him. He's French; he falls in love with every pretty girl he meets. He'll be over her in a week or less," Presea waved the distraction off.

Hikaru nodded, that did sound like Ferio.

*

Ferio threw the book on the bed and scowled at it viciously, "Stupid math," he muttered and then threw himself on the bed. "Oh but what wonders does it bring," a stupid grin swept across his face when he thought of the girl who had approached him that day. 

"And yet," he turned and glared at the book again, "you made me tongue-tied. I should have said something!"

"Talking to yourself again?" someone teased from the door. "Oh wait, never mind, you're talking to your calculus book."

Ferio glared at his roommate as he walked in the room. He seemed to loom in the doorway. He was easily a foot and a half, maybe two feet taller than him, almost as tall as the frame. "I am _not_ crazy Ascot!" Ferio protested.

"I didn't say you were!" Ascot threw his hands up and sat in a chair in the room. "I was simply saying that you were talking to a book which just isn't very healthy Ferio. I mean, wow, that's just not healthy."

Ferio glared again at the boy.

"Besides, it's not healthy to be taking Calculus in your-what-fourth year of college?"

"Hey!" Ferio protested, "I'm not slow, I'm just misunderstood."

Ascot laughed and grinned at his friend, "I know."

Ferio sighed and looked at the book, "I just don't get it, and Presea only makes it worse. I know she's trying to help, but she's too strict."

"Well if you didn't fall asleep while she was talking…" Ascot began, but Ferio cut him off.

"If she didn't talk so much I wouldn't have to fall asleep."

"If you were paying attention you wouldn't fall asleep."

"If I paid attention I would…" Ferio stopped, realizing Ascot had caught him as the other boy finished his sentence.

"Pass?"

Ferio scowled and nodded. He quickly stood and walked into the kitchen, "So are you hungry?"

"No, I just ate," Ascot called back, "Thanks though."

"Suit yourself," Ferio pulled out leftover pizza and heated it up.

"I went to the coffee shop around the corner, and there was the most gorgeous girl there," Ascot sighed happily at the memory and fell into a chair next to Ferio as he ate.

Ferio stopped in mid-chew, and rage swam in his body as he managed to mutter, "Oh?"

Ascot nodded, "But she left before I could say anything to her, not that I would have but…"

"What…what did she look like?" Ferio tried to be uninterested, but he knew that if Ascot described the girl in the library he would personally beat him to a pulp.

"She had gorgeous blue hair and these amazing blue eyes. She looked sad though; she ate alone and left when someone came near her. I thought she was going to cry, but I didn't hear what they said."

Ferio sighed and finished his pizza quickly. It wasn't like Ascot to fall in love with pretty girls he didn't know. This didn't seem like him at all.

As if Ascot sensed this thought he added, "But I don't really know her."

"Well," Ferio grabbed another piece. "I met the most gorgeous girl today."

"Really?" Ascot didn't seem surprised.

"Yes really," Ferio growled. "She was in the library when Presea was _trying_ to teach me, unsuccessfully. She seemed smart, I wonder…" in his head he was planning what he would say to her to convince her to help him study.

"Oh no," Ascot muttered and stood. "Well I'll leave you to your scheming, it's late and I have early classes tomorrow."

Ferio looked at his watch and realized it was time for him to start partying. He grabbed his coat and walked out toward the nearest frat-house. 

*

Fuu sighed and looked up from her biology book. What was she doing? She didn't have classes until mid-afternoon. She should go out and have a good time; college was half-social too. It was still early, early for most. And what was stopping her? This biology test? As far as she could tell she knew the book from cover to cover.

Somehow, her mind convinced her that she was going to go to a party; something she hadn't done in over four years. Tonight, Fuu Hououji, you're going to do it, she promised herself. 

So she went into her room, got changed, grabbed a light sweater and shut the door behind her.

*

Hikaru numbly dialed his number, "Hey Lantis."

"Hikaru," on the other end he sounded surprised.

"Presea and I are going over to Alpha Beta; you wanna come?" she asked casually as butterflies formed in her stomach.

"Sure," his casual façade must have worked because her voice remained unchanged.

"Great, see you in ten."

"Okay." 

She hung up the phone and let out a small cry of happiness as Presea walked in.

"I swear," she muttered and modeled her outfit. She wore a pure white dress that was supported only by four small spaghetti straps, two on each side. In the middle of the dress, holding the straps and the dress together was a great jewel that looked like a ruby though Hikaru knew it wasn't. Her hair was in its normal state, a high ponytail with a red tie that went all around it. Her brown eyes twinkled as she twirled a sash that went with the dress. It looked like it should be longer than it was; it only went to her knees.

Hikaru grinned and nodded her approval, "Nice, very nice."

Presea thanked her, and they were off.

*

"No, I'm not going," Umi put her foot down.

"Come on, please," Caldina begged.

"Why? So they can ridicule me? I think not!" Umi sounded firm.

"Please, please, pretty please," Caldina begged. "For me?"

"No Cal, not even for you. I can't take that, not tonight," Umi flopped into a chair.

"No one will bother you when I'm around, and if they do I'll beat them up."

Umi giggled but shook her head.

"One comment and you can leave," Caldina bargained.

"Promise?"

Caldina nodded, "Promise."

Umi agreed, and Caldina squealed in happiness, "Yey! Thank you so much!"

"You owe me," Umi pointed a finger, and Caldina nodded and pulled Umi out the door with barely enough time to grab a jacket.

*

Fuu timidly walked into the fraternity house and looked around her. This was a bit different than the parties she went to as a freshman in high school. 

The music blared loud in her ears, drinks were passed around freely and people danced half falling.

How did people have fun at these things?

She was about to leave, except when she turned she met golden cat eyes. A blush rose to her cheeks when he addressed her.

"Didn't expect to see you here!" he called over the music.

She smiled, not knowing what else to say or do.

"Wanna dance?"

She shook her head.

"I see," his eyes dropped, and he walked in, brushing past her.

"Just…I don't know how," she burst out, then blushed and looked down. Her fingers intertwined with one another.

He grinned, his confidence restored and nodded. Not wanting to seem too eager he winked and disappeared into the sea of people, "See you around!"

Her shoulders dropped, and she sighed, "Well, looks like I'm stuck here."

She wandered into the house and went unnoticed until she turned down the shot of whiskey someone handed her.

"Woah, get this, it's Fuu Hououji!"

Eyes spun and jaws dropped, and Fuu's face turned red.

"Uh…"

"Fuu Hououji…" word spread quickly.

She looked down, and people moved out of her way. She ran into a bathroom and sat on the edge of the tub, shaking.

What had just happened?

Her whole body trembled. Was she that much of a recluse? 

Then she thought it was maybe because half of them were drunk, or maybe it was the smoke in the air. 

"Or maybe it's you," her mind mocked, and she closed her eyes and breathed.

Why was she being so stupid over something like this? They weren't teasing her; they would accept her. Right? Right. Of course they would.

So all she had to do was just stand up and walk to the door, stand up and open the door. But she found that her feet were frozen. 

Stand up and…still she was sitting on the rim of the tub, trembling violently. 

"Okay Fuu, one more time," her mind urged, but still she was stationary. 

A knock on the door forced her voice to emerge, "Who is it?"

"Fuu open up," the voice was masculine.

"Who is it?"

"Just open up and find out," the other voice seemed persistent. At first she was hesitant, but somewhere that mind of hers managed to pull its body up and force it to the door. She opened it a crack and saw golden eyes. 

"Oh," she said softly and walked outside back into the eyes.

"Come on," he took her arm and led her outside. "This place isn't for you."

She was surprised when he didn't abandon her on the doorstep and walk back inside, but offered to walk her back to her dorm. She nodded weakly and apologized profusely. 

"I just wanted to try something new," she offered a meek explanation.

He grinned, "I can understand."

"I guess I wasn't expecting such a violent reaction," she shook her head wearily. 

"Hey it's okay; they're all looking for something new too. You shouldn't worry too much about it. After four years of college with you emerging it's like the big thing. You're kind of a celebrity."

"I didn't mean to be anything of the kind when I set out. I just try hard and study, that's all," she shook her head wearily. "If they put more effort…" she stopped herself from one of her long speeches on why they didn't succeed. "Never mind."

"Some people aren't as blessed," Ferio muttered and looked up when she questioned him. He would remember to pat himself on the back when he was out of eye distance of her. "Well, take me for example. You saw, I study, or try. It's hard though; some of the stuff doesn't make sense to me. No matter how many times I stare at a math proof I do not understand it. Some people just have natural talent. Studying only makes it better."

"Not true, all you need to know for proofs is vocabulary. If you memorize it and get the concept you can put it to good use," Fuu challenged.

"If you're so smart why don't you show me?" in the dark she couldn't catch the mischievous glint in his eyes. 

Though her voice was quiet, and no one could tell, a battle was raging in her mind. She didn't like it that people thought that she just got good grades because she was gifted. She studied hard, if she didn't she would go to these stupid parties and have good friends and… she was ranting to herself again. "I will."

"Library, tomorrow? Five good? Five it is then," he turned and walked away when she stopped subconsciously in front of her room.

"What?" she asked, but he didn't respond, just kept walking. She just stared, shocked. He had just outwitted her.


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Umi took a deep breath as Caldina opened the door with a slam. Umi winced when she saw eyes turn to her, and she quickly walked to the back of the room, picking up a shot of whiskey as she did.

She quickly downed it, grimacing, and pulled another off a girl slowly sipping.

"Bitch!" 

Umi glared, and she quieted immediately.

"Hey Umi, lighten up, come on," Caldina urged and danced around Umi, waving her arms and attracting a crowd.

One man particularly stared at Caldina then.

"Cal, I think that guy in the corner is totally into you," Umi whispered softly, and Caldina's eyes turned to him.

"Hm…" she rotated her hips and bid Umi farewell as she gracefully danced over to him.

"That girl was born to be a dancer," Umi mumbled to herself and downed another shot. She could all ready feel the effects the drink was having on her. She was getting lightheaded and woozy, and the world seemed to disappear. She was in a spot where no one could touch her. She smiled idiotically at the temporary bliss and grabbed another drink.

*

Caldina smiled a dazzling smile at the handsome man in the corner who nodded in return.

"So," she casually ran her fingers down the outline of her skirt. "I've never seen you here before."

"I've never been here," he answered simply.

"Oh," she mistook his short words as coldness.

"What year are you in?" she tried again.

He looked around almost hesitantly, "Going for my masters."

"Oh," she blushed and looked down, "that far?"

He nodded gruffly, and she sighed and turned around.

"Wait," he grabbed her wrist, and she turned.

"Yes?"

"You…I need to ask a favor…"

"Yes?" she batted her eyelashes, giving him her best flirt.

"Could you…could you…introduce me to your friend?" he asked softly, and she looked astonished.

"Sure…" she muttered and took his arm.

"Umi…why Umi?" she thought to herself as she guided him to the blue haired girl.

*

Somewhere inside Umi knew that she should stop this drinking, but she couldn't help it. Somehow, they didn't seem as cruel when she drank, so she kept it up.

A gentle hand pulled the glass from her hands, "I think that you've had enough, are you even over twenty-one yet?"

"As a matter of fact I am," Umi's head swam, but she managed to be hostile to the person who stopped her as she grabbed for the glass. "And quite capable." 

"Not in that state you're not," when he shook his head at her his lavender hair caught his eye.

"You again!" she huffed and wrenched the glass from his hands. "I should have known. Are you following me or something?"

"Funny," his eyes narrowed, "because I was about to ask you the same thing."

She glared and shrugged into her jacket, "I'm out of here."

"Don't leave because of me," he threw his hands up, and she scowled.

"Umi! Wait!" Caldina called after her, and Umi spun.

"One comment, remember?" Umi demanded, and Caldina chose to ignore her.

"This guy wanted to meet you," Caldina responded with hidden spite that Umi picked up immediately despite her temporary handicap.

"Why?" she inquired harshly, and he took her outside to explain.

*

Umi laughed and thought it must be the alcohol, "Yeah, I'm crazy," she muttered and walked away from him.

"You can't turn, this is your destiny," he called after her, and she waved a hand behind her.

"I'm going to have such a hangover in the morning," she mumbled and trudged to her apartment, weary with alcohol and fatigue. "No classes until afternoon," she smiled blissfully, "Perfect…"

*

Hikaru could barely concentrate in any of her classes; she kept remembering what had happened at the party last night.

She had been talking to Lantis in a corner when some strange guy pulled her aside. She had to smile when Lantis glared at him with a look that would scare the most fearsome people, but the man had just stood his ground and pulled Hikaru way, to her confusion.

"I thought I'd never find you," he breathed when they were in a dark corner, hidden from sight and hearing.

"What?" Hikaru questioned. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"Of course you know me!"

"Uh…" Hikaru looked perplexed.

"Princess?" he whispered, and her eyes bulged out of her head.

"What?" 

"Magic Knight?" he tried again.

She laughed, this must be some kind of joke, "Sure, whatever."

"You don't remember…?" his eyes seemed downcast. "Of course you don't remember…"

"Remember what? Who are you?" Hikaru began to get panicky because she was confused and alone. She realized suddenly that Lantis had no way to reach her if worse came to worse, and she was getting really scared really fast.

"Princess, listen to me, you have to find the other two," he grabbed her arm, and she began to struggle away.

"What are you talking about? Let go of me! Lantis!"

Immediately Lantis was between her and the man, pulling her away from him, daring him to get closer. 

"Guard," the man bowed as Lantis pulled Hikaru away.

"You okay…Hikaru…Hikaru…" her thoughts were ripped away from her. When she looked up her professor was hovering over her. "Miss Shidou, do you want to repeat to the class what I last said?"

There were a few giggles at Hikaru's scarlet face, and she shook her head.

"Miss Shidou if you're going to come to my class at all at least pay attention," he turned. "And if you're not going to pay attention don't come."

She nodded, "Sorry professor."

"Continuing on…"

*

Fuu twirled her hair aimlessly, thinking about the green haired boy. She looked anxiously at the door every few minutes, wondering if he would show up. This was folly, she thought to herself; she was just being stupid. She didn't even know his name, but still…her mind wandered. He did seem so genuine.

"Fuu-hime," a gruff voice said behind her, and she turned. In front of her was a man of colossal size. He had blond hair pulled back in a small ponytail. His purple eyes were smart and deadly. He wore a large hoop earring on one ear, and his black shirt clung close to him, revealing well-developed muscles. He was the pure definition of strength, and she jumped back and stifled a gasp. What he called her didn't even register.

"W-who are you?" she stuttered.

His eyes seemed to shoot down as he shook his head, "Princess, you must remember, please."

"What?" she whispered, and her eyes narrowed. "Not funny, did that boy send you to mock me?"

"Never," he seemed fierce in the answer, "and anyone that mocks a Magic Knight should be slain."

"A what?" she was choking on her words.

"Magic Knight, you are the Magic Knight of Wind, but I didn't expect you to remember. The other's didn't remember either," he sighed and shook his head again, almost wearily.

"The others? Who are you?" she was getting scared because the seriousness in his voice was too convincing. This person was either very good, or very sick. She didn't want to be around to find out which it was.

"Fuu, sorry I'm late, I…" Ferio stopped as he stumbled in on the two. "Uh…"

"Prince," he bowed, and Ferio's jaw dropped with the statement and gesture.

Fuu immediately knew this wasn't a stunt, nothing could look _this_ real, "I think you should get someone…to uh…escort this gentlemen to a place where he can get the treatment he requires," Fuu was careful with her words, and Ferio nodded and hurried off in that direction. 

"Fuu-hime," the man bowed. "I will be back for you, for all of you."

Then, in a gust of wind, he vanished.

"Fuu," the librarian put a hand on her shoulder, and she turned around with terrified green eyes. She met the gold eyes of Ferio and gasped out the words, "He…he just v…vanished!"            

*

He paced around the room, angry and confused, "Why haven't they remembered?"

"Calm down Lafarga, I'm sure they'll regain their memories soon enough," a little girl stood beside him and sighed, shaking her head.

"But it has been a long time," the boy behind her added.

"There must be a way, some way…" Lafarga sat down and tried to think. "I wish we weren't the ones who had to do this. If only…"

"Clef insisted on going," the girl pointed a finger, and Lafarga nodded.

"Yes, he did," a smile played on his normally expressionless lips. "Yes he did, for more reasons than one…"

"What do you mean by that?" the boy asked, and Lafarga dismissed it with the flick of a hand.

"Nothing, Sanyun, nothing at all."

"You're too little to understand," the girl jested, poking him in the stomach with an elbow.

"Shut up Aska!" Sanyun shouted back, and Aska laughed.

"Caldina…" Lafarga's eyes turned into a pool of purple as he whispered her name. "Why don't you remember?"

"Lafarga," Aska put a small hand on his shoulder, standing on her tippy toes just to reach it while he was sitting.

"Why didn't Clef stay to help us? Cephiro needs them now!" His fist hit the chair.

"We'll figure out something," Sanyung sounded less than hopeful.

"We have," Aska said meekly, and Lafarga nodded and went back to thinking.

*

Lantis was lying on his bed reading a book when his roommate walked into the room. Full of confidence and bursting with pride a tall man with dirty blond hair and brown eyes waltzed into the room that he shared with his best friend. He wore khaki pants and a black shirt, but through his façade something always seemed to plague his eyes. He was confident and determined in everything he did, but there was always a hidden sadness in his eyes, a longing.

Now though, he seemed to be beaming, "Lantis, guess what?"

"I can't even begin to imagine, why don't you tell me?" Lantis responded dryly, but it didn't seem to put a damper on the other's mood at all.

"Guess who scored us great tickets to the concert?"

"I think I know this one, it's you isn't it?" Lantis' voice was dripping with sarcasm.

He nodded back, "You're right!"

"When?" Lantis inquired as he set the book down.

"Tonight."

"Sorry," Lantis didn't even hesitate.

"What?" his eyes were downcast.

"I promised that I'd help Hikaru with this stuff she's doing in English Literature," Lantis avoided his eyes; he did that every time he spoke of the red haired girl.

"Hikaru…" his own eyes seemed to turn and cloud. "I see…"

"I'm really sorry…" he began, but was cut off.

"No problem, I understand. I'll give the tickets to someone who wants them, and I'll stay here and help you guys," his face brightened. 

"You don't need to do that, take someone, go have a good time. Don't let me hold you back," Lantis was almost angry at the prospect of having someone intrude on the semi-sacred time he spent alone with Hikaru.

"No no no, I insist, besides, didn't you have bad marks in English Literature anyway?" a grin crossed his face and reached his eyes.

"B's and C's…" Lantis trailed off, and he nodded.

"Exactly, I'll stay with you guys. I'm sure there's a ton of people who'd like to take the tickets off my hands."

"Eagle, really, you don't have to," Lantis emphasized the, 'you don't have to.'

"But I want to," and the issue was settled.

"Okay…" Lantis sighed. He knew that Eagle was a friend of Hikaru's too, and he couldn't pretend that she didn't like him. He was, in fact, rather uncomfortable when the two were around each other. Sometimes, it seemed like they would get lost in each other's eyes and not speak for long periods of time. He knew then that that night was going to be another one of those edgy moments.

*

"Hey guys," Hikaru held up the pizza box as she walked inside.

"Hey Hikaru," they chorused as Eagle took the box from her and peered inside, half pepperoni and half mushroom and pepperoni.

"So what's the crisis today Hikaru?" Lantis asked gently, and she blushed and looked at the book in her hand.

"It's this stupid book!" she threw it on the table and sighed heavily.

Eagle scanned the title and grimaced, "Gods I hate Shakespeare."

"Why?" Hikaru inquired.

"Because he's an idiot," Eagle shrugged his shoulders, and Hikaru and Lantis' jaws dropped.

"Well that's a little forward," Hikaru admitted.

"It's the truth, have you read anything?"

Hikaru's look was dangerous.

"Well, the way he structures his sentence is absolutely wacked out. The words he uses have metaphors that only someone who reads in depth, or Shakespeare could understand. Even the actors of his time couldn't read their scripts. The thing is, it's not appeasing to many people," Eagle explained his theories. "It's hard to keep interest when it takes half an hour to read one page."

"That's exactly what I feel," Hikaru looked into his deep brown eyes, and he looked back at her. 

Lantis quickly cleared his throat and pulled them from the awkward situation, "He is a genius of his time. All artists are a little eccentric, that's all."

Hikaru smiled and nodded, "That's true…"

"Still," Eagle's eyes flashed, and Hikaru looked back and forth from one to the other as they battled. Somehow, this didn't seem to be about Shakespeare anymore.

The thing that stopped them was a loud whistle from outside, and then a lot of hollering. 

"What's going on?" Hikaru ran to the balcony of Lantis' apartment and looked outside. 

She found that a circle of kids was gathered around a form, or two forms, that seemed to be battling in the grass.

All three ran out of the apartment and asked around.

"What's happening?"

"Hikaru?" 

"Yeah," she responded and looked at the short boy. He was in a few of her classes, and they were on friendly terms, but then, she was friendly with most people. He wore an ugly green hat most of the time, but all the girls thought he was adorable because he was so short.

"I don't know, something about a girl," he shrugged and looked back to the fight.

"Always," Eagle muttered behind Hikaru, and Lantis nodded in agreement.

"So stupid really," Lantis added.

"I don't know," a taller man next to the short boy admitted, and it was insane to think that they were the same age.

"Geo and Zazu, how are you?" Eagle inquired, and they told him fine as the fight broke up, and everyone began to disassemble. 

"Disgusting act, really," someone muttered behind them, and all five spun.

"You," Lantis' eyes were like ice as he met cold purple.

"Guard, Eagle, Zazu, Geo, Princess," he bowed to them in a bow that looked Japanese, and Hikaru's eyes narrowed.

"Are you trying to mock me?" she demanded. "Just because I'm not English or American does not mean that I am void of emotion!"

He shook his head, "Why does everyone think that I would dare to mock a Magic Knight?" he sounded astounded.

"What a convincing act, what do you want with Hikaru?" Lantis came forward, his fists were in tight balls.

"I only want to find all of you in one place so I can explain everything," he sighed heavily. "No matter what I do or try none of you come to the same place at the same time."

"You started this?" Hikaru demanded outraged.

He shrugged, "They're fine; they obviously wanted it started anyway. Stupid humans," he muttered and turned.

"Who are you?" Hikaru called after him, but he didn't respond, just kept walking.

*

Fuu looked at the ceiling and shook her head. She was just watching the ceiling aimlessly when there was a knock at her door.

She went to answer it, and a smile appeared on her face when she saw Ferio, "Hi."

"Hi," he answered and looked around her apartment. "Where's your roommate?"

"Don't have one," she shrugged. "My scholarship gave private rooms, book worm," she grimaced, what a way to attract a guy.

He grinned, "That's cute," he told her, and she smiled and blushed.

"Not to be rude, but um…why are you here?"

"Because that guy, I just heard something from a couple friends of mine; can I come in?"

She nodded and opened the room up for him. He walked in, and she offered him a spot on her couch. She sat next to him and waited for him to speak.

"He was at a fight tonight, speaking to that other Japanese girl, pardon me," he added when he thought that that might not be politically correct. She shrugged and urged him to continue. "And I thought maybe that he was after all the Japanese students."

"All?" she laughed. "How many Japanese students do you think there are?"

"Three," he answered quickly, "you, Hikaru Shidou, kendo girl, and Umi Ryuuzaki, that uh…" he stopped and shook his head. "Anyway, is it possible?"

"I suppose so," she sighed and put her head in her hands, "but somehow…"

"What?" he asked when she stopped.

"This is going to sound insane," she informed him before she even started, "but somehow I think that he's telling the truth, or at least, maybe thinks he is. Maybe he's sick and thinks it's the truth, or I don't know…I just, I don't think he's lying."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not entirely sure," she looked at her hands that were dancing nervously, "but I'm going to find him and get to the bottom of it."

He nodded, "I'll help you; I'm quite interested now myself."

She smiled, grateful, "Thanks."

*

"How do the cute guys always like you?" Caldina demanded irritably a night after the party.

"What are you talking about?" Umi called from the other room.

"Oh you know, that blond haired fellow from the party," Caldina called back. "I thought he was into me, but oh no! he wanted to meet Umi Ryuuzaki."

"What?" Umi walked into the room, and her face was pale. "He was real?"

"Of course he was real!" Caldina shouted. "You weren't _that_ wasted, Jesus Umi."

"Oh gods," Umi whispered and sat down, putting her head in her hands.

"Umi, what's wrong?" suddenly Caldina was worried. "Umi, you didn't do anything stupid did you?"

"No!" Umi glared at her friend. "Rumors getting to your head Cal?" she spat hatefully, and Caldina shook her head and looked down.

"Nothing like that, I mean, you were drunk though and…and…"

Umi waved it off and continued, "He told me some really weird stuff though Cal. I thought it was a dream or the booze or something. Cal, I don't know…"

"What did he say?" Caldina inquired hesitantly, not sure she wanted to know by Umi's expression. 

"That I was a Magic Knight sworn to protect another world called Cephiro. He said that I was a Princess of the realm, and that I was a guardian along with two others. He said that our world was in trouble and I needed to find the others and go back to save this place. Cal, we can't have a creep like that running around campus. We've got to find him and stop him," Umi stood and began to pace.

"In the morning Umi, in the morning we'll go and find him. Just don't worry about it, we'll find him, everyone will be okay," Caldina tried to calm the other girl.

"Yeah, okay," Umi nodded and sat once more. "Wow, I can't believe I thought I was that trashed."


	4. Chapter Four

A/N: I've never been to college, not yet anyway, and I don't really know too much about it, except what you see on TV a bit and what my dad told me, so sorry for the gaps and things that sound a lot like high school. Soon they'll be out of that environment, but I needed them to have roommates. And for the bit of confusion last chapter, sorry too, I didn't realize how much alike that sounded. Clearing that bit up, Lafarga is the one that's trying to gather them up; Clef is with the others and doesn't remember anything.

Chapter Four

Lafarga tried to think of ways to get them all there at the same time, "It would be easiest just to get them in groups," he muttered.

"Lafarga," Aska warned, "the Guru did not leave enough magic to do that." 

"He should've," Lafarga growled in response.

"But he didn't," Sanyun chorused.

Lafarga sighed heavily; he couldn't imagine leaving any of them behind. "So do either of you two have any ideas?" he demanded.

"Parties and fights," Aska thought to herself. "Well, what about an assembly?"

"Wouldn't work," Lafarga answered, "they're all in different years." 

"I know! What about a concert?" Sanyun burst out, and they looked at him in surprise. "Gomen, I was just trying to think of ideas…"he mumbled. 

"No that's a great idea!" Aska interrupted Lafarga. "We'll have a concert!"

*

"Hey guys check it out!" Hikaru called to her friends who surrounded her as she pulled the notice off the board. "A free concert!"

"Awesome! Let's check it out!"

*

"F…Fuu," Ferio was at a loss of words, and his confidence failed him.

"Yeah?" she asked as she looked through the book, trying to find a better way to teach him.

"I think that we should go to that concert, to you know-look for that guy," he almost hit himself for the way that came out. Her face dropped, and she nodded.

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

'Stupid Ferio!' he yelled at himself. 'You should have told her you wanted to go with her, because you liked her!'

"So besides that," Fuu looked back to the book and began to gently explain. Somehow though, he heard a wistful tone in her voice, and it made him guilty.

*

"Come on Umi, you're going," Caldina waved a set of fake tickets in her face.

"You all ready got tickets?" Umi whined. "Wait a sec." 

Caldina raised her brows, "Yeah?"

"I thought that concert was free," Umi glowered at her when she laughed hesitantly and put a hand behind her neck.

"Well…yeah…but…only a limited number of seats…and…"

"Cal!"

"Please?"

"Fine."

*

Hikaru, Presea, Eagle and Lantis, Geo and Zazu headed to the concert together, as one big group.

"I wonder who's playing," Hikaru looked excited. It had been a big mystery.

"No one good if the tickets are free," Eagle commented, and Hikaru glared.

"Spoil sport!" she called.

He grinned, "Well it's true!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

Lantis and Presea sighed heavily, "Both of you," Presea stopped them. "Shut up before I get a migraine."

They both apologized quickly and looked back to the stage in their amphitheater, waiting anxiously for the band to come on.

*

Ferio, Fuu and Ascot arrived just about the same time as the others, but they were lost in the sea of people. None of them had seen each other…yet.

"So Fuu, how many of these have you been to?" Ferio jested, and she shook her head.

"None," she admitted.

"None?" Ascot and Ferio asked simultaneously. 

She nodded, "Yeah…is that bad?"

"No, just weird," Ascot clasped a hand over his mouth. "I'm sooo sorry!"

"It's okay, really," Fuu waved her hands. "I get that a lot; I know you didn't mean it."

Ferio smiled at her, so forgiving.

She got nervous under his eyes and began fidgeting nervously.

He smiled wider, and adorable.

*

Caldina, Umi, and Caldina's friends, Tatra and Tartra, were in the crowd that night. They walked in, and there were a few muffled whispers and a few whistles. Umi glared and pulled her black sweater closer over her thick blue hair so no one would notice her.

"Umi, it's okay," Caldina tried to assure her, but she was nowhere they could reach her. Her eyes swung from side to side as they mocked her when they were silent. She looked around, and her hands began to sweat.

"Sorry, what did you say Cal?" she looked around, constantly searching.

"Nothing," Caldina waved it off and hugged her shoulders. "Let's just enjoy the show okay?"

Umi nodded and looked to the stage. Quickly, her mask was put back on, and she never turned to look at them when they said anything, nothing bothered Umi Ryuuzaki. She was determined to stick to that too.

*

Clef walked hesitantly into the amphitheater, feeling he needed to be there. The dream still seemed to plague him. He was in another world, there was a staff in his hand and the image was as clear as if it was a memory. 

"I will go with the Magic Knights to earth," his voice was the same, but somehow wiser, older.

"Guru you can't!" a little girl with her hair in buns like cat ears protruding from the sides of her head protested. Her outfit was foreign, it was a white skirt with red, purple and golden jacket. A piece of the jacket fell to her pointy red shoes and sported a yin-yan. Her blue eyes were innocent but quick, and young.

"My dearest Aska, I must," his eyes seemed sad as he looked at himself reflected in this strange outfit he wore. The pants were white and normal looking, but the jacket was a periwinkle color and held gold trim. Shoulder armor was connected to a white cape with purple gems. There was a large purple gem on his forehead, and the staff was almost as tall as he was.

"Why?" Lafarga demanded. "If you must go than why cannot I go?"

"Because someone must be here to revive them. I'm leaving my magic to you, enough to get us all back only once," he speculated, and the man's eyes fell.

He looked familiar. Suddenly, it hit him, that was the man who wanted to speak to that girl at the party! Weird, he thought in his dream.

"Guru," and there was that girl. Her long blue hair fell down in a free wave down a slender body. The outfit she wore fit her curves magnificently. She was in every way the most gorgeous creature he had ever seen. She bowed low and stayed on the floor; her head was bowed. The dress spread out beneath her like a silk blue sheet.

"Umi-hime," he answered with a smile on his lips.

"We are ready," she stayed bowed, and he frowned slightly.

"Umi, look up."

She wouldn't. She just stood and bowed to the man with the purple eyes, then ran from the room, her head in her hands.

And then he woke up. 

He looked around him now and tried to find the reason that he felt he needed to be here. He didn't need to wait long before he found it.

On the stage stepped a man with blond hair and dangerous purple eyes.

*

"Oh my God," Hikaru's mouth went dry.

Lantis growled deep in his throat, and his hand went to his hip as if expecting something to be there.

"Who's that?" Presea asked softly.

"A psychopath," Lantis mumbled.

"He says I'm a Princess, and he speaks with a foreign accent. The strange thing is, he has a bow similar to a Japanese bow," Hikaru added to Lantis' brief explanation.

"Princess…" somehow the word struck Eagle.

No one heard him through the groans of displeasure though, as the man walked to the front of the stage. "Thank you all for coming…"

*

Fuu looked at Ferio, and he nodded to Ascot who asked if this was the guy.

"What shall we do?" Fuu inquired softly.

"We'll slowly walk up to him and try to ask him a few questions," Ferio answered.

"O-okay," she sounded scared, so he gripped her hand firmly and smiled at her reassuringly. 

She smiled back, and they began to walk toward the stage.

*

"Him?" Umi whispered.

"Come on," Caldina grabbed her, feeling pulled to the handsome stranger. Tatra and Tarta followed quickly behind. 

*

"This is so weird," Clef muttered as he walked forward. He ran into a girl wearing a sweater as black as the night; he didn't know she was even there until he ran into her, "Uh, sorry."

She spun and looked into his crystal blue eyes. Her greeting was not what it would have been on another day, "Oh…"

"What's going on?" 

"Not sure," she shook her head and pulled the hood closer to her as they approached. He had an overwhelming urge to pull it away and touch that shimmering hair. He shook his head when she titled her head and looked at him curiously.

"Come on," he got close to the edge of the stage and looked into purple eyes; eyes that were so familiar yet so distant.

*

Lafarga watched them all come forward, three groups. His eyes met Clef's, and he nodded and closed his eyes. Before he did he let his gaze linger on Caldina. She stepped back, but his words engulfed her, and she couldn't move, no one could.

"_Fires of Mountains, Torrents of Air, Rivers of Water, take them from here _

By the power of Fire, Water and Air, by the Master Mage and the Civilians

Transport them from here forever more!"

In a flash of red, white, blue, black and green light, they were pulled from the amphitheater and into an unknown and very known land. 

A/N: I'll probably concentrate most on Lantis/Hikaru/Eagle and Clef/Umi/Ascot, sorry Fuu/Ferio fans. Those two sets kind of have more to make of their story. There will still be Fuu/Ferio fluff though, so don't tune out! And if you want to make suggestions to which they end up with I'm open to anything. 


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

When Hikaru opened her eyes she was in an unknown room. She sat up and stretched. Where was she? She looked around and scanned the room. She was in a bed with a red and pink bread spread. There was an almost transparent red silk drape that fell on all sides of the bed. She carefully separated it and looked around her. The room was decorated beautifully with red paintings and symbols of joy and happiness. There were paintings of a strange world. She walked toward one painting and looked at it. It depicted rolling hills and valleys, a phoenix soared overhead. Waves crashed in the distance and a dragon roamed the sky nearby. The mountains were in the distance with a lion standing on the top. She had seen this image before, in a book about the legend of Emeraude and Zagato. She shook her head and looked around again. The carpet was white and was comfortable beneath her feet. This wasn't anywhere near the university, so where was she and what happened?

There was a knock at her door, and Hikaru answered it. It was that strange man from the campus, "Where am I?" she demanded. "My family is poor, there won't be a ransom." 

He looked distressed and shook his head, "Come with me Princess," he instructed, and she followed him, feeling she had no other alternative.

*

Lantis looked around him and wondered where he was. He was in a strange garden somewhere, asleep in a tree. He jumped down and looked around him. There was a gorgeous fountain and selections and combinations of flowers he'd never even imagined. Some of these flowers didn't even exist, but here they were. He bent down to touch one, but a sharp voice stopped him.

"They're deadly, don't touch them."

He turned and looked at a small girl in a red robe with hair like cat ears coming from the sides of her head. "Who are you and where am I?" Lantis demanded, and she smiled.

"Why you're home of course," she responded cheerily. "Come with me, and I'll show you to breakfast being's how you don't remember where it is," she offered a hand which he bent down and took.

*

Eagle opened his eyes and blinked in the sun. He was outside a huge palace with Geo and Zazu next to him, "Where are we?" Eagle whispered, this place seemed so familiar. 

"We're in Cephiro," Geo muttered, and he seemed afraid that he knew that. 

"Cephiro," Zazu's eyes seemed clouded.

"Our new home," Eagle added with sudden passion. He was home; he no longer lived on Autozam, but in Cephiro, after the treaty. He had moved here to serve the Princess of Fire, the Magic Knight. They had had some kind of problem and the Princess' couldn't be safe on Cephiro, so they went to Earth to save them. That's right, everything came flooding back to them. There had been war, civil war, after Emeraude's death and the invasion of the countries was over, there had been horrible civil war. The people had been scared and fought each other. The Princess' could not stop it; the Guru could not stop it, so they fled. Yes, everything came flooding unhappily back. Now, it seemed though, that everything was fine and good and nothing had happened. How had Cephiro survived leaderless? Then his mind wandered-the Princess! 

At the same time he began to run inside, Geo and Zazu followed fast on his heels. 

*

Ferio looked around her and blinked heavily, where was he again? The apartment was not that of anyone in the university that he knew. He hadn't been at a party; he had been at a…concert. Yes, and there had been that man and…Fuu!

He jumped up and threw open the door to be greeted by three other men running down the hall. He noticed them from the concert last night and decided to follow them. Quickly, he began to race after them.

"Prince!" one with dirty blond hair and secretive eyes called, and Ferio looked confused.

"What? Is this some kind of prank? Where are we?" Ferio questioned as they ran.

"We are in Cephiro; you are home, you just don't remember. Don't worry Prince, you'll know soon enough," a short man with a green hat commented.

Ferio had no other choice it seemed, but to heed their word and follow them into the darkness.

*

Fuu stretched and sat up. She looked around, and fright gripped her. So last night had not been a dream, she had been captured by the man with purple eyes. The place he held her was elegant enough. The bed she was on was huge and feathery soft. The blankets were a warm green and there was a translucent kind of greenish clear drape that fell across it. She could see out, but no one could see in. Strange, she commented to herself as she pulled back the curtains and found a world of beautiful artifacts and paintings. It looked like she herself had decorated the room, but that clearly wasn't possible.

"Princess," there was a knock on her door, and a little boy entered the room. 

"Yes?" she asked softly, and tried not to seem too frightened. She didn't know what they wanted, but she wasn't going to let them get the upper hand.

"Prince Ferio and the others are just arriving at breakfast; they're waiting," the little boy told her, smiling, and she nodded and followed him down twisting halls that she wondered how anyone could navigate. She knew she could never find anything in this place without someone showing her; it was a gilded cage.

*

Clef opened his eyes and smiled at the room around him. He was surrounded by books and was lying in a large comfortable chair next to a large oak desk in the middle of the room. He was home, finally. He was home in Cephiro.

"I should go see Lafarga," he said softly, then thought about it. "Wait, no…" he smirked. "Then I should go fetch the Princess'." The thought made him smile.

He stood and walked out of the room, in search of them.

*

Umi opened her eyes and flew out of the bed. She threw back silk blue covers and jumped from the waterbed and through silk blue curtains. She screamed and began to shake; where was she? She remembered a weird light, that man…that sick man from the party before. The room was colored in blue and covered with scenes of the ocean, but she didn't get much time to look around. The first thing she did was run to the door.

She fumbled with the handle; her hands were shaking so badly. When she threw it open she was met with the lavender haired man from school. She flew out of the room and accidentally ran into him. She almost screamed again but then she saw who it was and bit her tongue, "What's going on? Where are we?" 

"You're home Umi-hime, you just don't realize it," he answered.

"What?" she whispered.

"Home," he responded and gently let go of her wrists.

"What's going on? Why are you doing this to me?" she looked around and did the only thing she could think to do in a situation like this-she ran.

He sighed and nodded to himself. He raised a hand, and she froze. Slowly, he approached her, and she stared at him with wide, frightened eyes.

"What did you do to me?" she shrieked.

"Do you promise to stay quiet?" he asked softly. "And to stay still, you won't run?"

She slowly nodded and with a flick he let her go, "Who are you?"

He bowed, "Guru Clef, Master Mage of Cephiro and your personal protector. Each of the Princess' is protected by an element, you are Water, Hikaru-hime if Fire, and Fuu-hime is Wind."

Hikaru and Fuu, who were they?

"Come with me, we'll fetch them now. It has been a long time…."

*

Caldina stretched and turned around in the bed, pulling the covers up close to her, keeping their warmth. She shut her eyes and breathed in strange scent, but she was too tired to notice it.

She felt a gentle touch along her hair, and her eyes snapped open. Wasn't she at a concert? 

She shot up and met purple eyes. She screamed and fell back. The sheets tangled around her legs and she hit the ground.

"Caldina are you okay?" he jumped up, and his eyes were worried.

She scrambled back and pulled the covers up to her as a kind of shield, "Who are you?" she screamed. "Where's Umi? Umi!"

"Sh…Umi-hime is safe, I've just seen to them. I came to you as soon as I could. You slept in, it's okay."

"It's not okay! Where the hell am I?" she was frantic at this point. "And how did you see to Umi, where is she? If you hurt her I swear to any god out there…"

"No, no, no, it's okay, Cal, it's me," he pulled his hands into his chest. "It's Lafarga, you have to remember me."

"I don't know who you are, but please don't hurt me or Umi. We'll give you anything you want, but please don't hurt us."

"Caldina," he came forward, and she trembled against the wall. "Come with me, I'll show you," he offered a hand.

She was scared that if she didn't do what he said he'd kill her, so she took the hand. When she touched his hand she felt warm and tingly. Why did this feel right?

He took her to the balcony of the room and opened the doors. The breeze from the ocean drifted in. 

She looked out, and her eyes widened. This was not Earth; this was nowhere in the world. The mountains were…floating! "Oh my God," she almost passed out, but he supported her, and she slowly regained herself. "_Where are we?"_

"You're in Cephiro," he answered and bent down to her. "And we were engaged," he touched her lips with his, and she melted in her arms. His kiss melted away everything, and when she pulled away everything had fallen back into place. 

"Hey."

"Hi," he responded and smiled. He kissed her deeper, and she fell into his arms perfectly. She leaned her head on his chest, and he sighed. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," she answered, and somewhere in her heart she had. There had been a hole where he had been supposed to be. 

He took her hand and led her down to breakfast, so she could see the others.

*

Presea was awakened by a soft sound against her bed. She looked down and was greeted by a strange stuffed animal that was powder pink and had a bright gem on its forehead.

"What is this?" she muttered and grabbed it. She quickly realized it wasn't a stuffed animal when it shrieked and began to move.

"PUU!"

She screamed, "Mokona! I'm gonna get you!" she grabbed it and ran out of the room. "Clef!" she shouted as she saw him coming down the hall with Umi. "This rodent is really going to get it this time!"

Clef chuckled softly, and Mokona bounced over to him, "Take him to Ascot if he's bothering you Presea."

She sighed heavily, "Come on Mokona," she beckoned him, and he hopped after her at a safe distance.

Umi stared with wide eyes.

"I guess everyone is all ready back in place then," he looked behind him and saw that maybe not _everyone_ was back in place.

*

"Tatra, do you know where we are?"

"Um…no…"

"That's a problem."

"I think we're home."

"Are we?"

"Yeah, we're in Cephiro."

"Finally!"

"Let's have breakfast!"

"Let's."

(A/N: don't remember which one is nasty which one is nice, too lazy to get the manga right now, sorry. There will be more of them in later chapters)

*

Ascot didn't understand when there was a girl at his door telling him to take a small creature off his hands. "What is that thing?" he demanded.

"It's Mokona, the creator of the world…" Presea quickly grasped the fact that he hadn't yet recovered his memory. 

"Where are we?" 

"Famous question I'm sure," she muttered and took him outside. "We're in Cephiro."

His eyes grew wide as he was led through the palace and finally outside, "Not possible."

He looked down when he felt something rub up against his leg. Sitting there was a strange animal with the head of a lion and the body of an eagle, a backward Phoenix. Its head was too big for its body, and it walked awkwardly on long claws. 

"Oh, Sphinx," he shook his head and picked it up as everything came back to him. "I missed you too…"

*

"So, wait, you expect me to believe that I'm a ruler of this other world?" Umi was in hysterics. She hated Earth, but she was just scared here. How could she be here? This had to be a dream, a crazy dream; that was all.

"Yes…" Clef said hesitantly, careful not to set her off even more, knowing how she was.

"Not possible," she threw herself into a chair. "This is just a dream and I'm going to wake up, and everything is going to be fine and…"

"Shuddup Umi," Caldina hissed, and Umi turned to her. 

Umi looked at the girl who had her hands interlocked with the man from the party, "Who are you?" she demanded. "Right, a dream…"

"That must have been the reason I thought he was telling the truth," Fuu muttered softly and looked down into her hands. She seemed to be somewhere between thought and confusion, maybe depression.

"Okay, okay, let's say…" Umi began, and everyone waited. She gulped and started. "Well if this wasn't a dream per say, if this was really, well, real, why don't- wouldn't we have our memories back too?" 

Clef smiled softly and shook his head, "Because you've seen nothing or done nothing to revive them. It will be hardest to revive your memories because the experience was most traumatic for you three. It will take a powerful event to bring your memory back."

Hikaru until then had stayed silent, trying to lap it in, "What…what happened to us?"

"Princess!" Eagle burst into the room followed by Geo and Zazu.

"Eagle?" Hikaru asked softly, and he ran to her and took her hands.

"Are you okay?" he demanded.

"Another stunt Eagle?" Lantis growled.

"What? Lantis!" he smiled. "I'm so glad you're both okay."

"She doesn't remember Eagle," Presea said softly, and Eagle looked at Hikaru, pained. 

"Of course not," he muttered and dropped the girl's hands. "We'll see about that though, we'll see."


	6. Chapter Six

A/N: Sorry about the delay I didn't realize I had this finished. Oops!!!

Chapter Six

Hikaru shook her head and tried to digest everything that had happened that morning. She was startled when there was a knock on her door. She stood and hesitantly opened it. She found Presea, Lantis and Eagle waiting there.

"Come in," she opened the door for them, and they walked inside. "Have a seat," she commanded, and they found various spots in her room. Eagle sat on her bed, Lantis in a chair nearby and Presea in the window seat. "Well?"

"Well, these two have agreed to tell us what we're missing, at some cost, or so they say," Lantis answered, and she looked confused.

"What cost? I thought you were my friends! At least…" she faltered. "You were on Earth.

"We still are Hikaru-hime," Presea assured her.

"Enough with the Hime stuff," Hikaru snapped, and Presea pulled her head down. "I was only being respectful to one of the rulers of Cephiro."

"I'm not a ruler!" Hikaru screamed. "I can't even pass my Classic English Lit. Class!"

"Calm yourself Pr…Hikaru," Eagle stopped her ranting. "Let us explain."

She sighed and nodded.

"The cost is only that, it was very painful for you, that's why you can't remember," Presea told her softly. "We just don't want it to bring back all those unpleasant memories."

"But," Eagle stopped her shortly, "there are good ones too. That's why you have to know."

"Well then tell us," Lantis growled, and Presea sighed and began.

"There was peace for many long years…"

*

Fuu looked out her window across the world that was not hers, and strangely, was. She missed Earth; she missed her family and her small group of friends. She missed being in a place she knew with people that were familiar. She missed her school and her schedule. She was alone here on this place, and she didn't understand what was happening around her. All day she had waited to wake up from this, praying that it was a dream, as Umi said, but she never did. She touched the ivory-like wall, and it was smooth and cool under her fingers. The thing she noted most was that it was solid; she didn't feel solids in her dreams. This wasn't a dream, it couldn't be, and she would not be waking up in her dorm room. She would be waking up in this cold world without any hope of getting home.

"Fuu-chan," a knock at the door made her jump. She stood and opened the door; she was greeted by Ferio's concerned face.

She opened the door for him, and he entered, slowly. "Yes Ferio?" she was weary and wanted to get back to her thoughts. She wasn't sure she could take anymore of this Princess stuff.

"Are you all right?" he asked rather hesitantly, and she nodded and smiled a weak smile.

"Just confused, which is something I'm not often doing," she didn't hold back or try to be modest. She wasn't bragging, just simply stating a fact.

"As you should," he was being stiff, formal. Fuu didn't doubt for a second that he really was a Prince, the way he held himself said that.

"Please, sit," she offered her bed to him, and he sat, only because she asked. He stayed just as wooden as she fell onto the bed and sat against the pillows. Her golden hair dangled just above the soft down pillows. He looked at her and tried to breathe; she was everything he remembered and more.

"Fuu-chan…Fuu-hime," he stopped himself, how was he going to explain this to her? "There's something you need to know…"

*

Umi pulled herself from her thoughts and her bath when there was a knock at her door. She put on a robe and pulled it close to her, hiding her delicate frame. When she opened the door she was greeted by the Master Mage of Cephiro, his Palu and Presea. 

"What do you want?" she snapped, but it only halted them for a minute.

"May we come in?" Clef asked softly, and she nodded reluctantly and opened the door to let them come in.

Ascot watched her as she moved, and she felt a slight blush rising to her cheeks as the same blush rose to his. Clef cleared his throat and shattered the moment. For a moment Umi hadn't been thinking of Cephiro or where she should be, and she swung to Clef with angry eyes. "Yes?"

"Princess, there are some things that need to be explained to you…"

*

"The Princess' were protected by their guardians, the Rune-Gods and their people…" Presea continued. 

"Go back," Hikaru shook her head wearily. "Guardians, Rune-Gods?"

"Guardians," Eagle looked at Lantis and turned his head slightly. "Each Princess is protected by someone with a special talent. You were protected by Lantis and I; he was the head of the guard of the castle, I was the stranger from Autozam. You were protected by strength and the Rune God Rayearth." 

"Sure…" Hikaru muttered and let Presea continue. 

"But then the people were idol, everything was going well. The young got restless; you tried to calm them, but they revolted. No one knows why. The elder people loved you, but the young turned on them. They wanted reform; they wanted more of a say than they received. They didn't realize how much it would hurt the country. They stormed the castle, and you were forced to flee to the other world. We would retrieve you there when everything was okay," Presea explained quietly, head hung low.

Hikaru couldn't remember this, but just the thought brought tears to her eyes. How could anyone hate her that much?! "Why didn't I give them what they wanted?!" she demanded, and Eagle winced.

"You couldn't hand control of Cephiro over to people that have started an uprising. It would bring upon years of civil war. So we evacuated everyone from the castle, everyone except Lafarga, Sanyun and Princess Aska. They raised an army of supporters, and the rebels were pushed back and destroyed. They restored peace in Cephiro and ran the country, awaiting your return. The only thing is, now that there is peace once more, Cephiro is starting to crumble without your pure hearts," Eagle looked at her with desperate eyes. Why wasn't she remembering?

Lantis shook his head, through the whole story he had stayed silent, but no longer could he stay silent, "I'm sorry, I just can't believe this."

"You will, in time," Eagle said softly, "you all will."

*

"Yeah?" Fuu asked softly, and Ferio took a deep breath.

"There was a civil war in Cephiro over the way that it was ruled. There was a horrible fight. We managed to win, and when it was over we brought you back to Cephiro. We had to keep you there because it was too dangerous for us, for all of us. Then Lafarga summoned us back and here is where we find ourselves. I want you to remember because…" her eyes were so blank, so… "We were married." 

"What?" Fuu's jaw dropped. "Not possible."

Ferio nodded, "We were, you were my wife. I was the Prince of Cephiro, you were the Magic Knight of Wind. We were in love, please Fuu, you have to remember."

She shook her head, "No, I would remember something like that!"

"You won't remember anything until something happens bad or good enough to remind you. Please though, you have to believe me. Fuu I miss you so much, please come back to me," he itched to touch this girl that looked like his Fuu-chan, but couldn't. 

"I'm only twenty-one," she protested. "I can't be married."

"In Cephiro you are much older. We age differently here," he tried to make her remember to no avail. It was not his choice on when she would remember; it was hers. 

"I think I need to be alone right now," she felt as if she was going to be sick.

"Okay," he stood and bowed. "Good night Fuu-hime."

"Good night Ferio," she answered, and he left without looking back.

*

Once outside Ferio put his head against the door and sighed, "Fuu-chan." Tears formed in his eyes; tears that he wouldn't let fall. "Please come back to me."

He sat against her door and listened to the gentle rhythm of her sobs. He only stood when he was sure that she was asleep. Then he did so and walked down the halls to his room. The room he used to share with his Princess.

*

"Civil war?" Umi was less than convinced. "So while this war was going on we fled?"

"Exactly," Ascot smiled, thinking it had broken through.

"So why exactly," her words were like hot iron. "Why didn't these rebels take over the castle in our absence and take over Cephiro?"

"Because Lafarga and his army wouldn't let them in," Clef answered.

"So if he was all strong and everything," Umi wasn't going to make this easy for them, "then why didn't we stay in his protection?"

"It was war, things are never entirely safe in war," Ascot shook his head; he was wrong. This was the Umi that was their Princess though, only a little less formal. 

"Nope, didn't happen," Umi assured them.

"Of course it happened! Lafarga was there!" Caldina shouted at her, and tried not to hit her. 

"Listen Umi, we're not expecting you to remember so soon, we just thought that you should know how your country is," Clef said more patiently than he would with anyone else. They all knew that Clef had outstanding patience with this girl that he had to spend more time with than anyone else. Most people would drive him insane, but not her.

"Somewhere inside you're wanting to know what happened," Ascot added.

"Sure, whatever," Umi muttered and turned her head. It was getting night there, and she knew this could not possibly be a dream. The days did not change in her dreams. She couldn't even begin to believe that this was happening. Did someone slip some acid into her drink at the concert or something?

"We'll leave you now, good night Princess," Clef ushered them out, and Umi waved a sarcastic goodbye. 

When they had shut the door she sighed and put her head on her pillow. So what if what they said was true? How could she run a country? She couldn't even get the kids at her University to respect her.

*

The morning brought about new problems for the three girls.

In all the confusion the three hadn't really gotten a good idea just who the other two were. When the realization hit them Umi and Fuu immediately clashed.

"Umi Ryuuzaki," Fuu whispered at breakfast when Umi walked to the table that morning.

She nodded and put a hand out to Fuu, "Fuu Hououji, nice to formally meet you."

Fuu looked away and refused to take the hand. Umi drew back and looked hurt.

"I understand," she muttered.

"You understand nothing," Fuu spat hatefully, and Umi's eyes flashed. Everyone watched the fight in silence. "I work insanely hard to get the grades I do, and all you do is sleep with a few teachers and everything is set right. Either that or your daddy pays for you to get into a good school, then bribes the teachers for good grades. You're lucky you're here now because you wouldn't have made it in the real world."

Umi's eyes filled with tears; it took a lot to make this normally docile girl hate like that. "That's-that's not true," Umi stumbled.

"It certainly is. 'Your reputation precedes you,'" Fuu recalled their professor's words.

"That's not what he meant!" Umi screamed, and the tears began to fall.

"Save it," Fuu said harshly. "I will not be part in anything that she is. I will not have my name associated with hers."

"I don't do that stuff!" 

"Umi-hime," Ascot put a hand around her shoulders, and Umi sobbed into his chest. Fuu's eyes were dangerous as she watched the two. Umi didn't even know this guy, but he was obviously powerful. She had all ready sunk her claws into him.

"Now Fuu-hime, this just isn't right to torture her with accusations like these," Clef never took his eyes from Umi. 

"Not you too?!" Fuu threw her hands up and sighed heavily. "You're really good at what you do aren't you?" Fuu's eyes turned to Umi who turned from Ascot and shook her head.

"Just because I'm friendly with teachers does not mean that I'm sleeping with them. If you used half the brain that the entire University and I, believe you have, you would notice that _female_ teachers say nice things to me too!" Umi screamed and ran from the room, not able to stand this any longer. 

"Umi…-hime, wait!" Ascot quickly added the phrase as he called after her.

"Shame yourself," Clef scolded Fuu. "Your lives on Earth are no longer important, what you lived there was meager compared to what you must now do that you're home. This country for all its beauty and splendor is war-torn. There are people starving out there; you need to put all back together. You can only do this with a strong Will, and _love_ for the people around you. Whatever happened there does not matter."

His eyes were troubled though, what were these accusations that Fuu-hime was making about the Water Princess? Were they true, if they were…he shuddered to think. He decided to investigate more before jumping to any kind of conclusion, but the trouble in the Palu's eyes showed him that Ascot was thinking the same things.

Fuu immediately dropped her eyes with Umi's words and stayed silent. She thought back and realized that female teachers had said good things about Umi. She was wrong to have believed the stuff the kids fed her. She couldn't believe she hadn't seen it before, and she felt stupid and guilty. 

"I should go apologize to her," she muttered and trudged off to go find the girl.

"Wait," Hikaru called after her. She turned and looked at the girl who had stayed silent through the whole fight. "I want to get to know all of you better since we're going to be running a country together."

Fuu was forced to smile with her wide smile; she was too cute.

She walked outside, Hikaru by her side speaking and asking questions with the exuberance of a elementary school child. 

The people inside shook their heads at the girls.

"I can't believe that they can't remember," Eagle sighed heavily.

"We'll just have to make them remember, somehow," Geo clenched a fist.

Lantis stood and watched; they must have forgotten he was in the room. So he stayed in the background and listened; maybe they were serious about all this…

*

Fuu and Hikaru wondered around the halls in the direction that they thought Umi had gone. 

"So what do you make of this place?" Hikaru asked Fuu, and she shook her head.

"I'm not sure; I think it's beautiful. I just keep thinking I'm going to awake from a dream, but it's no dream. I wonder how we got here…" she was deep in thought.

"There is no scientific explanation I don't think," Hikaru told her. "I know that you, being as smart as you are, want to put a reason behind all this, but I don't think there is one. I think that maybe this is our fate or something. I don't know; I just know that if I could smell magic this place would reek of it. Something sacred is hidden in these walls, something that maybe no human has ever seen before." 

Fuu just stared at the girl.

"Maybe I could be wrong…" she tensed under the gaze, feeling self-conscious. 

"No!" Fuu protested. "I think you're absolutely right," she laughed slightly and blushed. "I guess sometimes I just try to think when the simplest answer is normally the right one."

"Wow, you make me feel smart," Hikaru grinned, and Fuu smiled and shook her head as they approached a beautiful Utopia. Inside these gorgeous gardens was a gorgeous girl, weeping openly. She sat on a stone fountain and was crying hard. She threw herself up and began to pace. 

"U-Umi," Fuu's voice was scratchy with hesitance. Umi turned and glared fiercely at her.

"What?" her tears only made her look angrier, daring anyone to test her all ready fragile nerves. 

"G-gomen nasai. I judged you before…"

"That's right, you did," Umi scowled and turned back to her pacing. "And you made me look like a fool in front of those people, filling their heads with the doubts I thought I had left behind on Earth. At least if I have to be here I could start with a clean slate, but oh no, you have to bring that back."

"I didn't know that you-I spoke before I thought. I can't do anything but say I'm sorry," she turned to leave, but Umi dropped her hands.

"And I can't do anything but say I accept your apology."

"Really?" Fuu smiled, and Umi wiped a hand across tears that were slowly easing.

"Yeah."

"Yey! I'm glad that we're all getting along because I want to know all about you both!" Hikaru shouted and grinned at their response.

"You must be the most energetic person I've ever met," Umi informed her, and Hikaru beamed in response.

"Yep, that's me. My name is Hikaru Shidou, I'm captain of the kendo team along with my friend Lantis who also is from here apparently. Glad to meet you," she offered a hand to Umi who took it delicately. 

"Umi Ryuuzaki, glad to fight you when you need to practice. I'm captain of the fencing team."

"Really?!" Hikaru squealed, and Umi nodded and smiled; the last of her tears had dried. 

"That makes it two swordswomen and an archer then," Fuu added. "I'm captain of the archery team." 

"Well then, seems we are leaders after all," Umi put her hand in the center of the triangle they had made. "To Cephiro?"

"To Cephiro," Fuu nodded and put a hand upon hers.

"To Cephiro," Hikaru added her hand, and in a flash of light they were thrown back and into separate worlds. 


	7. Chapter Seven

A/N: *{}= flashbacks. 

*Any scenes here that are out of the manga, obviously, aren't exactly how they happened or exact dialogue, I just edited them for my purposes. 

Chapter Seven

{"Hikaru-hime! Hikaru-hime! Stop them!" there was a screaming little girl at her feet; her mother was just as frantic as she was. 

"I-I…" Hikaru stuttered and closed her eyes. "I don't know how."

"You have to Hikaru-hime! Use your magic!" the little girl was crying now. "They're hurting us! Hikaru-hime!"

There was a loud knock on a door outside her chambers, and she stood, trying to clear her mind. 

"No! It might be them!" the mother of the little girl shouted. 

"There are people dying out there!" Hikaru found herself lashing back. "I'm not going to watch them die!"

"Please Hikaru-hime, you don't understand their power!" the woman pleaded.

Hikaru turned her head and opened the door. She was met with Eagle and Lantis.

"Come on," Lantis said gruffly and pulled her from the room.

"What about…?" Hikaru began, but Eagle shook his head.

"No time, come on."

Hikaru tried to pull away from them, but they were too strong.

"Hikaru-hime!" the little girl's voice rang in her ears.}

*

{"Prince, Princess, we must go!" Presea burst into the room where Fuu was sitting with Ferio. Why was she with Ferio? She shook her head… what was going on? 

There were loud clashes and clangs outside the walls of the room.

"What's happening?" she found herself demanded, and Presea turned her head.

"They've reached the palace," she said grimly. "Come now, Guru Clef is waiting, we don't have much time."

"Presea we can't leave," Ferio begged, but Presea shook her head.

"Not now Prince, we must leave now," Presea knew that they had to go. She looked around her shoulders nervously. "The others are on their way, quickly, before they get inside."

"Presea no," Fuu's voice was shaking, but she was somehow determined. 

Ferio knew that if he didn't come she wouldn't. He wouldn't risk his Princess; he looked at her gently, and took her hand, "Come on Fuu-chan, it's time."

She begged Ferio to reconsider, but he shook his head firmly, and it was settled. They followed Presea through dark winding halls, and Fuu sobbed with every scream or clash.

"We're almost there," Ferio soothed her, but she wouldn't look up. She didn't want to have to see her safety while she heard other's deaths. How could she hear them through the walls of the palace? Her head swam as they reached large oak doors and Presea swung them open. The Master Mage looked worried and worn.}

*

{She looked around her, blinking heavily. Where was she? She was in her room in Cephiro, hadn't she just been in the gardens though?

"Come on Umi-hime," Ascot grabbed her hand.

"Where are we going Ascot?" she asked softly, and he shook his head. "Where are we going?" her voice was more heated, more demanding.

"To Clef," something in his voice or maybe what he said made her struggle. She tried to pull free of him, but he wouldn't let her go.

"No! I will not abandon my people!"

"If you don't save yourself there will be no people left to abandon!" Ascot glared at her fiercely.

"I will not abandon them Ascot!" she screamed, but he pulled her along despite that. "Please, save yourself, but Celes will protect me. He'll keep us safe; Rayearth and Windam and we will come out triumphant."

"Not against this enemy Umi, not this time," Ascot said softly and pulled her into Clef's study.

He seemed to sigh in relief, and she noticed all the people around her. 

"Let us go!" Hikaru screamed, but they were helpless to their carriers.

"Here," Clef handed Lafarga a potion of some sort, and Lafarga nodded and kissed Caldina goodbye. She cried and held him close, not wanting to leave him.

"I'll stay safe, I have to," he assured her, and she nodded and let go, saying a sad farewell, before they all disappeared into darkness.}

*

Lantis shuddered and looked up. Something was wrong with Hikaru. He turned and ran out the door.

"Lantis!" Eagle called after him, knowing quite well what was going on. "Lantis she's fine!"

*

They all stood, shaking weariness and confusion from their bones.

"What-what just happened?" Hikaru inquired softly.

"I-I don't know," Umi answered just as softly.

"They were memories," Fuu's words made them turn and stare.

"Memories?" but they didn't get a chance to hear Umi's question or Fuu's answer, because Lantis burst into the room, his eyes were a combination of angry and worried.

"Hikaru, are you okay?"

She nodded, "But how did you know?"

"Know what?" Lantis inquired.

"That I was in trouble," Hikaru looked at the floor.

"I just had this feeling," Lantis shook his head. "What happened?"

"I'm not entirely sure; I think it needs to be explained by the people who remember," the words still rung clearly in Hikaru's head. {"Hikaru-hime!"}

"Come on then," Lantis took her hand, trying to comfort her, and they headed back to where the others were. Fuu and Umi followed close behind, speaking in soft whispers.

*

"They were so scared," Hikaru recalled her vision in a small voice, the pit in her stomach was growing.

"I could-hear the battle in my head," Fuu said just as softly. "Though I know it was at least a mile away."

"I know I didn't want to leave, Ascot made me come," Umi looked at the Palu who turned away and couldn't bear to look at his lost angel.

"I couldn't lose you, but it seems I still have," he turned and walked from the room.

Ferio looked softly at Fuu and clutched a chain around his neck that lie hidden beneath his shirt. 

Eagle stared at Hikaru and Lantis' interlocked hands and turned his eyes, as he always had.

"These are visions, from your pasts," Clef told them softly. "You'll have them now that you're back, until you recover your full memories."

"I don't want to remember if our memories are all like that," Umi muttered.

"Not all are like that," Caldina took Lafarga's hand. 

"The legend…" Hikaru thought to herself out loud. "I meant to ask."

"What legend?" Fuu inquired.

"That old Japanese one, my mom used to tell it to me. She said it was about true love, about Emeraude-hime and…"

"Zagato-sol," Umi and Fuu finished her sentence. 

Lantis put a hand to his head, and his world began to spin. They all braced themselves as Lantis fell to the floor. Hikaru held his shaking body.

"He's having a seizure!" Fuu shouted. 

Clef waved his staff over Lantis, and his shaking went to a few small twitches and then a deep, strange silence, only broken by Hikaru's sobs.

"Lantis, Lantis…" she whispered until Eagle pulled her up. Clef snapped, and Lantis disappeared.

Hikaru sobbed into Eagle's chest, and everyone else stayed silent.

*

{"You're getting better Lantis," a tall man that looked a lot like himself commented as he drew back from their sword fight.

"Arigato, brother," he found himself panting. A smile, a smile, appeared on both their faces. He never smiled, only for Hikaru and…Zagato}

{"I love her too much to be without her. You understand, don't you?" Zagato took his younger brother into his place of confidence. He spoke of his love, Emeraude.

"Hai, but brother, you may be killed. The Magic Knights are strong. I know you love Emeraude-hime, but for me, please," he was begging.

"There is no doubt of my death brother, but I must protect her, with my life. I must," Zagato had made the Princess that solemn vow long ago. "Not even for you Lantis, can I break this."

"But you love me, don't you?" Lantis demanded, because time was growing short.

"Of course, but you are strong, you don't need me as Emeraude does."

Lantis turned his head down and nodded, "Hai, my brother."

"You must go to Autozam, use your skills, stay safe there until it is time for Autozam to take their place in Cephiro's history. Emeraude has seen this, and your happiness. This is all I wish for. I love you, my brother," Zagato turned from him. 

"Brother! I will claim vengeance for you and Emeraude-hime!" Lantis called after him.

He turned and looked at his young brother, "Seek it not in the Magic Kights," he answered softly.}

{"You can hit me," Hikaru instructed, and he seemed confused. "Just don't take it out on Fuu and Umi!" 

"I don't want to hit you," Lantis answered calmly.

"But I killed your brother," Hikaru protested.

"Cephiro killed my brother," Lantis responded.}

{"How do you profess love in your world?"

"I guess, will you marry me?" Hikaru pondered before answering his question.

"Is there anyone you want to marry?"

"Lantis and Eagle," she grinned.}

{"Eagle, it is time for me to leave," Lantis walked into Eagle's chamber.

"As it is time for me, let us conquer Cephiro together," Eagle's eyes shown.

"Not this time, this victory must be my own," he walked swiftly from the room; his place cape followed obediently.}

{"Let Eagle and Hikaru go!"}

{"I've decided to stay in Cephiro, not just for the coronation, forever," Eagle smiled brightly.}

{"Hikaru, you shall now be known as the Princess of Fire and shall rule over Cephiro with a just hand," Clef placed a tiara of gold and rubies upon Hikaru's head. "And to be your guardians I appoint the two Head of the Guards, Eagle and Lantis."}

He jumped awake, "Hikaru," he whispered. He stumbled out of bed and walked down familiar halls. He ran into Ascot on the way, and stopped him.

"Where is Hikaru-hime?" he asked.

"She's in the gardens with the others," Ascot answered. "I'll take you."

"No need, she is well then? No hurt has befallen her?" Lantis questioned.

"No…" it hadn't sunk in for Ascot, yet. 

"Arigato," he began to walk past him. 

"Lantis?" Finally, it hit him.

"Hai?" Lantis turned.

"Good to have you back," he responded, and Lantis shook his head at the strange remark and continued.

Ascot smiled to himself; maybe he would get her back yet.

*

"Hikaru-hime," Lantis bowed to her, making the other's smile.

"Lantis?" Hikaru inquired.

"Hai," Lantis frowned; her reaction to seeing him alive and well wasn't quite what he expected. She was in fact, frowning some.

"Then he's regained his memories too," Hikaru looked down, and Lantis understood. He sighed; glad to know her disappointment was in not having her memories and not the fact that he was alive and unharmed. "Why can't we recover our memories? I don't want to be in a world where I don't have my dearest friends!" she began to cry, and the only ones who could comfort her were Fuu and Umi because they understood. 

"In time you will all recover your memories," Clef told them.

"And not all will be pleasant," Lantis mumbled and turned his head.

"But it's good to finally have you back," Lantis' eyes turned toward Eagle.

{"And Eagle…"} her words rang in his head, and the love came back times one hundred and the guilt and feeling of betrayal, and the passion and anger and competition because she loved them both, and they both loved her.

A/N: Lantis and Hikaru or Eagle and Hikaru? I know that I'm going to put Umi with Clef only because I have the perfect idea that came to me. I still don't know what I'm going to do with Hikaru, suggestions? 


	8. Chapter Eight

A/N: Happy Holidays everyone! 

Chapter Eight

"How did Lantis just so suddenly recover his memory?" Fuu asked as they ate dinner that night. She had pondered over it so long; she just had to know.

"You must first remember what was close to you, and then you slowly recover them. On coming back to Cephiro mostly everyone remembered what was close to him or her immediately. For you three it will be more difficult because there were so many complications in your lives, so many things to feel close to," Clef explained, and Ferio turned his eyes from Fuu when she questioned his pained look.

"Well why don't you enlighten us and just spare us the misery?" Umi questioned dryly. "Just tell us what was close to us."

"We can't," Ascot burst out and sighed, pulling his eyes back to the floor. "If we do the spell will be complete, and you'll never recover your memories. The bond will be strengthened. The spell is really quite evil, it's just this one thing that keeps it from taking you all over completely."

"Evil?" Hikaru inquired in a meek voice. "You cast a dark spell on us?"

"It was the only way," Clef tried to defend himself, but he couldn't believe he had done it either.

"Or you could have let us fight and die with our country," Umi spat back. She dropped her fork and fell back in her chair.

"Umi-chan?" Hikaru held one of her shoulders.

"I'm fine, just a little dizzy," Umi smiled and tried to sit back up, but something was holding her down. 

"What's going on here?" Presea's eyes narrowed. A dark force was present in the room.

"I'll tell you what's going on," a wicked looking woman in a deep purple dress with long navy blue hair appeared in front of them. Her eyes were dark black, and you could barely see where her pupils were. 

"Stay back devil!" Clef ordered, and immediately there were four people around the three Princesses'.

"Who are you?" Hikaru demanded and tried to stand, but when she did she was thrown back into her chair with a heavy hand. 

"Magic," Lantis hissed and glared at the woman who held out a hand to Hikaru and then Fuu. All three of the girls were chained to their seats.

"So the Magic Knights and the Princesses' of Cephiro decide to come back and play rulers again, well listen here! I'm the ruler now! I'm the Queen of Cephiro and you three are not going to take that from me!"

"Go back to the dark where you came from!" Lafarga drew his sword. "We vanquished you to that realm and there will you stay."

"You think a sword is any kind of stop to me?" she laughed and threw her head back. "You know as well as I that a sword is no stop."

"Then maybe I am," Clef stood in front of Umi and dared the girl to come any closer. 

"Ah…" she sighed and looked a Clef with hate in her eyes. "I see now, the Master Mage of Cephiro come back from defending his little dog on earth. Well now it's time to get a clue, because I've taken this land for myself."

Clef threw his staff into the ground, and a silver light shot from his staff and engulfed the girl who screamed and disappeared. When she was gone he looked around the room and made sure everyone was okay before he sat down and tried to hide his shaking hands.

"Who was that?" Caldina asked Lafarga gently. He looked down and clenched his fingers into tight balls. 

"That was the Queen of the Shadow. She has no proper name, but they call her Shadow. She hates all and longs only to cloak Cephiro in her evil. We thought we had vanquished her and sealed her away, back to the dark realm of Cephiro where she came from, but it seems we were wrong."

"The dark realm of Cephiro?" Fuu inquired.

"Cephiro has two different sides," Ferio began to explain. "This one is the light side, where there is peace and happiness. There is also a dark side, where there is always evil and chaos. The two never collide except when an evil so great manages to escape and desires revenge. The evils of the dark realm hate us because we banished them to constant misery. They will stop at nothing to destroy us and let us feel what it's like to live in their world."

"That's terrible!" Hikaru shouted and looked at them all with angry eyes. "Why would you ever banish people like that?!" 

"We had to," Eagle told her softly. "They're evil, they cause chaos and harm. Would you rather it be a combination of good and evil? When you've lived your life in peace why would you want war?"

She stayed quiet, because she didn't know the answer. "That's how it is on Earth, and she thought of all the hate that lingered there, and somehow understood why they would want to protect their home from the evils of the world.

"So you understand," Lantis smiled a small smile at her. "I knew you would."

"It just doesn't seem right," Hikaru shook her head.

"What isn't right is killing innocent people and trying to take things that don't belong to you," Lafarga protested. "That's what they've done to get there; that's what they want to inflict on Cephiro. That's what we must fight to protect."

Hikaru nodded, "You're right. We must fight."

{"Hikaru, Hikaru…" a ghostly voice called her in the nothingness. 

"I'm here!" she called back, and a figure wreathed in flame bounded toward her. She laughed merrily and called a name she couldn't remember. She ran to the creature.

"Hikaru, it's been so long," the thing told her, and she tried to apologize.

"I know it has R…}

The world became colorful again, and Lantis and Eagle were hovering over her.

"Hikaru-hime?" Lantis' was the first voice she heard, and she smiled.

"I'm fine, just a little tired," she told them and then realized she was on the ground.

"I don't think that's fine Hikaru-hime," Eagle muttered, and she laughed. 

"Just tired, needing rest."

"I think we all do," Umi smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. 

"I agree," Fuu nodded. "After that witch and the meal, sleep would help us clear our thoughts."

So they all agreed and headed toward bed. 

*

"I wish I could tell her," Ascot couldn't sleep. All he did was toss and turn all night. He couldn't sleep; her blank eyes plagued him. 

How could she forget him? How could she forget what they had? Wasn't he the one who was important to her? 

His thoughts overran him to the point of exhaustion, and he fell asleep only just a few moments before the sun rose.

*

Ferio's fingers ran across the chain on his neck. He gripped it and let his fingers fall down and over the item on the end. His Fuu-chan, where had she gone?

He saw her body and it was she, and heard her voice and it was she, but these things that she did, it wasn't her. The eyes, they were the same deep green but they held no love for him. 

He stood and paced, punching the wall. How much longer would he have to live without having her near him? How much longer until his heart broke? How much longer would he be able to stand not feeling her hair beneath his fingers? His fears were sickening, and he tried not to think of them, but still they came, until late into the night. He only found sleep when he thought of the last time they were together, really together, when the country was at peace.

{"Fuu-chan?"

"Yes Ferio?" she smiled at him, and he cupped her face in his hands.

"You know that I love you."

She nodded, "And I love you."

"And I want that to be forever," he added.

She laughed, "It is forever."

"I want you and I to be forever."

She stayed silent, shock and apprehension overtook her. "Oh?" she managed to choke out.

He nodded, "Please promise me something." 

"Anything," he could tell that her throat was tight. 

"Promise me that you'll never love anyone but me, and promise me that every night when you fall asleep you'll think of me, just as I think of you."

"Of course I will Ferio," she burst out. "I can think of nothing but you even when you're just feet away."

He smiled and kissed her, and it was that kiss that was most lasting for him.}

*

Eagle hated himself for hating Lantis. He was glad that his best friend had his memories back, but he didn't want him to remember Hikaru as he obviously did. He didn't ever want to see them together. He wanted her to be happy though. It just wasn't fair that love for her should separate best friends. It didn't seem fair that they should both see the love the other shared and that she shouldn't be able to make a decision between them. She had to notice; she was naïve, but she wasn't blind.

"Hikaru," he threw himself on his bed and looked at the ceiling. "Why must you torment me so?"

*

Lantis sat on the balcony and looked at the stars. He was sitting peacefully, filled with thoughts of his brother and Emeraude, thinking about his own love, when just the person on his mind came behind him. He jumped and drew his sword, but lowered it when he realized who it was. "Hikaru," he sheathed the sword, "you startled me."

"Gomen nasai, may I join you?"

He nodded, and she stood next to him as he resumed his position, staring at the sky.

"I couldn't sleep," she explained when no explanation was necessary.

"You should try, you're bound to have a long day ahead of you. I assume Clef is going to want you three to be able to don your…" he stopped, one of those things he couldn't say. "Never mind."

She looked at him, concerned, but didn't push it any further. "What are you still doing up?"

"Thinking."

"About what?"

"Zagato."

"Oh."

"And Emeraude."

The name made pain spring into her eyes, but she didn't know why. 

"They died for their love."

"It's romantic," she smiled.

"It's tragic," he turned and walked from the balcony. Anger flared in his heart that his brother would abandon him for a girl. But then, would he abandon Eagle for Hikaru? The thought made him guilty, and his eyes filled with pain.

"Lantis?" Hikaru touched his arm. "What's wrong?"

"I'm worried," he lied. "I think you should get some sleep. We all need it."

"Hai," she knew that he needed his time. Even this new person he was the same, he still needed the silence. "I'll see you in the morning then."

He nodded, and watched her walk out.

*

Fuu tried to get over the pain in Ferio's eyes but there was no getting around it. There was something lurking there. He was hiding something; they all knew what it was, but she couldn't. She hated being left in the dark, especially when it involved her.

Eventually she sat up and began to wonder the halls of the palace where she ran into Ferio.

"Huh?" she looked into the darkness and saw a male figure cloaked in the night. She began to run the other way but a soothing voice stopped her.

"It's okay, it's just me."

"Ferio?" 

He nodded and stepped into a place where the moon could show him better. "Sorry to scare you. What are you doing up so late?"

"Couldn't sleep, you?"

"Same."

There was a long silence before he offered an arm, and she looked at him curiously, "Wanna go for a walk?"

"Okay," she took his arm, and they walked down the halls together in a contented silence.

"We used to do…" he stopped. "Never mind."

She looked at him but didn't push, never pushed. 

After what seemed like ages of silence she yawned, and he smiled and led her back to her room.

"Arigato," she mumbled as he tucked her in her bed. "You helped me settle down."

"I'm glad," he waited for the light sound of her deep breathing and then kissed her forehead. "Good night, my Fuu-chan." He slipped out the door and sighed to himself, that experience had only made his brain beat down more questions upon him, and make his heart speed up. Looks like he had more walking to do.

*

This new Clef was so different from the one in the halls she knew, Umi thought to herself. He was just the same looking, and just as egotistical as before, but here he seemed to have the authority to back it all up. 

And what about Ascot? That shy boy who seemed to know a lot more than he let on? There was something more to both of them, to all of them actually that they weren't letting on. Well she wasn't about to just let everything fall into place. She wasn't going to sit here and ask questions to herself. She knew she didn't know the answers!

*

Clef sighed heavily and opened the door to whoever was knocking. "Umi?" 

She walked in, and he sighed even heavier and closed the door behind her. "Tell me what you're hiding."

"I would if I could, but I can't, so if you don't mind, I'm doing some research," he offered the door, but she wouldn't budge.

"Nope, you're not getting rid of me that easily," she informed him. 

He glared and shut the door once again. "What?" he snapped.

"I am not a child, and I won't be treated like one. I want to know what's going on here, what you're hiding from us. There can't be that much that you can't tell us. Can't you just explain it a little more?"

"No, I can't," he answered hotly. "I've told you all that I could, now please, go to sleep. You're going to need your strength so that you can don…" he stopped. "I've said enough all ready. Good night."

She sighed and turned; she would have to get this information from somewhere else. "This isn't over."

He shut the door and whispered to himself. "Gods I hope not." 


	9. Chapter Nine

A/N: This is a spoiler to the story, so if you don't want to read it just pass over it, if you can, but I was afraid of getting flames for this. Um…Eagle isn't going to be evil forever. Just wanted you to know so you wouldn't get angry and stop reading or something.

Chapter Nine

In the morning all the people met for breakfast, and it was silent. There was no conversation except a few angry glances and sad turns of heads. Umi sighed heavily when everyone seemed to be finished and set her fork down. This was going to be a long lifetime if everyone kept this up.

"So what is going to happen today?" she asked cheerily. 

There was a long awkward silence in which Umi felt very strange, as if she was playing the fool for asking a friendly question.

"Or you don't ask that kind of thing here, never mind."

The way she said it was a conformation of her lost memory, and it pained everyone, but Ascot put on a smile and answered anyway. "We're going to take a tour of the kingdom, see if anything sparks your memory."

"That sounds fun!" Hikaru grinned, and they all laughed. She smiled, glad to be able to get conversation started and make everyone laugh.   
*

"So they're going to the palace are they?" She cackled insanely, and a man stepped into her presence. Dirty blond hair brushed past brown eyes, and his eyes glinted in mischief. 

"Yes madam, they are," he took a seat next to her when offered, and she stood. Her long nails were painted a deep black as she ran them gently around his face. She walked around his chair once, thinking, and then sat in his lap.

"And then we'll have Cephiro, you and I," she held his face carefully and kissed him.

"Yes," but he was thinking deep inside. 'And then I shall have Hikaru, once and for all.'   
*

Lantis was startled awake by a loud noise next door, in the library. Quickly, he put on his sword belt and went to investigate. He walked into the library and found Eagle throwing books from shelves and ransacking the library, hissing insanely.

"Come on, where is it?!" 

"Eagle?" with Lantis' words Eagle spun on his heels.

"Lantis," he laughed innocently.

"What are you doing?" Lantis demanded.

"Looking for a book," Eagle answered simply, but Lantis knew there was more hiding here, and he was going to find out what it was. 

"Looking for a book doesn't involve destroying the entire library," he took a step forward, when he stopped, Eagle stopped.

"I was simply taking them down, I was going to put them back," Eagle protested.

"Do you realize how long it takes to put them back where they belong? Do you realize how long it will take Clef to put them away again?" Lantis questioned.

"A few seconds," a voice answered and snapped. Suddenly, all the books in the library were once again upon their shelves. 

"Guru," Lantis turned and bowed, Eagle followed suit, hesitantly. 

"Eagle, what were you looking for?" Clef asked; his eyes were narrowed.

"Um…" Eagle faltered. "A book on the Magic Knights."

"What?" Lantis and Clef almost shouted at the same time.

"Yes," Eagle was in the zone now, "to see if there was anything about them we didn't know, anything we could show them. I got so frustrated; I want them back so much. I got angry when I couldn't find it and began to throw things around. I'm sorry Guru," he bowed and waited for reprimand. 

"I understand," Clef smiled, and Lantis let out an inward sigh, but both were still wary. "I know that it can be frustrating at times, but we have to keep going on. As for what you were looking for, I've already tried that. I've compiled a list of places."

"I should have known that you would have been a couple steps ahead of me, Guru," Eagle added and bowed. 

"Now if you two could keep it down I'd like to get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us still," he turned and walked out, and Lantis approached Eagle.

"Maybe you have an excuse for now Eagle, but I'm watching you," he whispered, and Eagle laughed.

"Abandoned your best friend for the Princess of Fire? I should be watching you, how quickly your loyalties fly," Eagle taunted, and Lantis glared but didn't turn around to indulge him.   
*

"So how did everyone sleep?" Hikaru asked at breakfast the next morning.

"Well enough," Lantis muttered and eyed Eagle suspiciously. 

Awkward silence filled the room until Umi asked another, lighter question, "So how are we going to be getting around the kingdom today?"

They all grinned and looked at Ascot who blushed, "We're going to take a few of my friends along with us."

With the end of breakfast they all went outside, leaving Caldina, Lafarga, Tatra, Tartra, Aska, Sanyun, Geo and Zazu behind. 

Ascot raised his hands in a spell and summoned eight gorgeous reindeer. "What is this Santa and his team?" Umi laughed at the thought.

"They even fly," Ascot grinned, and Umi, Fuu and Hikaru couldn't help but laugh.

"This Santa Clause of yours, Saint Nicolas, he was from Cephiro," Clef told them. "He was a summoner here, brought a few of his charms to Earth and earned himself the title of Saint."

"What?" they just stared in shock.

"Can we go?" Presea was excited to see Cephiro again. She had missed it so much since she had been gone. 

Each mounted a different reindeer, and Ascot clicked his tongue, and they all took off into the air. 

They flew over the plains for some time until Ascot called for them to land, which they did. They landed gently and dismounted in a tiny village near a roaring volcano. Ascot unsummoned the creatures, and they all looked at Hikaru who stared in wonder at the volcano, and then her eyes headed toward the small village with a sense of knowing,   
affection. She walked forward without anyone going to stop her, only following in a safe distance. She walked around the village and people bowed low to the ground.

"Hikaru-hime, glad to see you safe, Majesty," they all whispered to her. 

"Onegai, stand," Hikaru begged, and they did so with no curious expressions. This was their Princess, wasn't it? She was truly home.

"Hikaru-hime!" a little girl ran up to her and hugged her around her waist. "You're finally home Hikaru-hime!"

Her mother came from behind her, and their were tears in her eyes as her daughter pulled her hand and pushed her forward, "Look mama! Hikaru-hime is back!"

"I know, it is a miracle isn't it?" she embraced Hikaru, and visions hit her.

The same little girl from her dream, the woman, a servant friend of hers, lived in the palace. She used to be a right hand lady in Hikaru's life.

{"Hikaru-hime, really, you shouldn't go out there and fight with those men, even if you were a Magic Knight," she instructed her on 'proper' behavior for a Princess.

"I know I know," Hikaru laughed. "They're bigger than me, and fighting them isn't feminine." 

This made them both laugh.

"Mama can I learn to fight one day?" the little girl emerged.

"Of course you can," Hikaru answered for her, and grinned at the woman. "By order of the Fire Princess of Cephiro. I'll teach you myself. You'll be able to beat the best of them, well, except for maybe Umi-chan."

The girl grinned and thanked Hikaru profusely.}

Hikaru fell back and looked at the woman, "Arisa? Eriko? Is that really you?" she questioned.

"Yes milady," Arisa bowed.

"I was so scared you were dead!" Hikaru grabbed them both into a tight hug. "I was so scared for you."

Eriko laughed, "You're silly Hikaru-hime; you taught me everything I know. I couldn't let mama get hurt."

"What?" Hikaru whispered and the battle came back to her.{Swords rang fiercely in her head and the whole palace seemed to tremble with their fight. 

"Eriko, take this!" Hikaru threw the girl something, a jeweled sword decorated in orange stones and with a blade as strong as rock. The girl put on the belt and drew the sword. She stood in a fighting stance and determination filled her face, a calm fighting stance as Lantis pulled her from the room. "Luck and love be with you!"}

Hikaru fell to her knees, just a little under Eriko's eye level, "You fought your way to safety?"

Eriko nodded proudly, "Yes I did Hikaru-hime, just like you taught me."

"She saved our lives Hikaru-hime; your training saved us," Arisa told Hikaru as she stood. 

"I'm glad that I could help," Hikaru answered gently and put a forehead to her head.

"So you remember," Lantis sighed, and Eagle grinned. All of the others seemed to sigh.

"Slowly," Hikaru took on a more regal tone. "Slowly, I remember. I remember the war and the times at the palace. I remember fights with Eagle and Lantis," everything came back to her. Slowly, the memories found their spots in her brain. Slowly, everything else was erased.

{"Umi-chan, Fuu-chan hurry up!" she called down to them.

"Come on Hikaru give us a break!" Umi pleaded.

"We're tired!" Fuu added.

"Tired?" Hikaru cocked her head.

"That's right," Umi muttered dryly as she climbed another rock and stopped on a ledge to catch her breath, "you don't know what tired is." 

Hikaru laughed and climbed down to them, "You guys!"}

"And Umi-chan and Fuu-chan!" Hikaru ran up to them and hugged them. "We're okay now; we're all okay."

Umi and Fuu looked distressed because they were the only ones left.

"Hikaru-hime, the time has come for you to once again don your armor and fight in the name of Cephiro," Clef raised his staff and a red light shot from the staff, and Hikaru was pulled into the air. Her skirt was replaced with a deep red one and her shirt was covered with white armor, jeweled in rubies. There were white gloves on her hands,   
one held a huge ruby. She gasped when she touched the ground, and from the gem jumped a great, flaming, wolf spirit. 

"Rayearth!" Hikaru shouted and grabbed the neck of the wolf.

"Knight of Fire," the wolf nuzzled close to her, and she shed tears that sizzled on his coat. "It has been a long time."

"I know," she muttered. "I missed you."

"And I missed thou. If thou hast need of me summon me," and he fell back into the gem.

"What?" Umi whispered. 

"What was that?" Fuu demanded.

"Fuu-chan, Umi-chan?" Hikaru looked worried. "Why don't you know Rayearth?"

"They have not yet recovered their memories Princess," Lantis bowed to her, and Eagle did the same.

"Lantis, Eagle," she smiled and hugged them both. "You're okay too, but where is Caldina and Lafarga, Tatra, Tartra, Aska…" she couldn't finish her list because Eagle was hushing her.

"Fine fine, they're all fine," he assured her. "Everyone is safe."

"Then all is well in Cephiro!" she laughed and clapped her hands together. "And we're all together again."

"I fear," Eagle looked down. "Not all is well in Cephiro."

"A dark force has overtaken it," Lantis added and tried not to eye Eagle. 

"Dark force?" Hikaru's red eyes filled with fear and worry.

"But not to worry," Eagle added cheerily. "All will be well as soon as Umi-hime and Fuu-hime regain their memories and don…"

With a flick of the hand Clef clamped his mouth shut, "What were you thinking? Now that they know of the spell the effect will be ten times more devastating. What you told them already has slowed the process, this will completely stifle it!"

"Gomen, I wasn't thinking," Eagle responded.

"You're right, you weren't," Clef hissed but let it go.

"When they recover their memories then," Eagle corrected his mistake, and Hikaru nodded, understanding what Umi and Fuu did not, could not.

"And this doesn't help at all? Seeing her like this? Seeing Rayearth?" Ascot questioned both Umi and Fuu, but mostly Umi.

They shook their heads. "No, it doesn't spark anything," Umi muttered.

"Something in Cephiro is bound too though," Ascot encouraged. "Let's keep going."

"Maybe Hikaru-hime should take Arisa and Eriko back to the palace, assuming they want to go," Clef hinted. "And I'm sure the people waiting would like to see you again, well see you've recovered what was lost."

"How about it?" Hikaru offered turning back to them. "Do you want to return to the palace with me?"

"Of course Princess," Arisa bowed, and Eriko did the same. 

"It's settled then. But, we'll need to take a few of your friends Ascot." 

"No problem, I can ride with Umi and Ferio with Fuu. That way you can each have one and Eriko can ride with Arisa," Ascot sorted it out, and they all mounted and flew from the city, both in different directions.  
*

Ferio knew that Ascot was trying to get him and Fuu back together almost as hard as he was trying to get Umi back to where they were. But now, being this close to her but not being able to touch her but for a tight grip so they wouldn't fall…it was torture to him. 

"Ferio?" Fuu asked gently, and he turned and looked at her quickly.

"Yes?"

"Is something bothering you?" she inquired innocently.

He nodded, "But you don't have to worry about it."

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Whatever for?" Ferio looked back at her, and then looked around again, toward the forest where they were headed. 

"I feel as if I'm not the person you wish for me to be." 

"Don't say that," Ferio said softly. "You're exactly the person I wish you to be."

They were silent the rest of the way.

They landed in the forest and dismounted. Ascot unsummoned the animals, and they headed inside, slowly, warily, because this was a dangerous place.  
*

Hikaru walked into the palace and was greeted by all her old friends which she hugged and thanked. Everyone shed tears for awhile, and then they got to the issue on hand. 

"I'll need to train again," Hikaru said softly. "To recover my skills." They nodded, "Come with us to the training courts, if you dare," Eagle teased, and she grinned and took the challenge.

"Let's do that then," she grinned, and everyone walked to the training courts to see the fight. It used to be something they always did, watch the Princess' fight with people. They would take anyone on, Hikaru was one of the best, the only one that could out battle her was Umi. 

Everyone was excited to see her battle with Eagle and Lantis.


	10. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

They landed in the woods and walked through all day, looking for something to strike the remaining two's memories. There was nothing though, no spark or message or anything. They were just all smiles and blank stares. The others tried not to be disappointed as they mounted and set off toward the castle once more. They tried to smile and act as if they weren't worried or scared, but the act wasn't a strong one. 

Umi and Fuu walked back into the castle in quiet conversation about the disappointment they had caused.

"I wish we could remember for them," Fuu muttered softly, and Umi nodded in agreement.

"I know."

*

Hikaru laughed as she finished the duel with a tie. She heard the others come into the castle, regaining her telepathy with the people of her country and told the people in the practice court that they were back. She turned and sprinted up the steps and through the castle halls to run into Umi and Fuu.

"Umi-chan, Fuu-chan," she laughed and hugged them. "What shall we do now that you have your memories back?"

They turned their heads down, and Umi looked at Hikaru's torn face for a split second while she mumbled, "We don't have our memories back Hikaru."

"What?" the smile fell from her face, and she looked confused. "What do you mean? Of course you do! How can you not?"

"I don't know okay?" Umi screamed. "We just don't!"

Hikaru looked even more pained and apologized.

"No I'm sorry Hikaru," Umi put a hand on the shorter girl's shoulder. "I wish that we could remember for you, but we can't. There's been nothing."

"Yet," Fuu interjected hopefully. "All hope is not lost."

"Then we'll just have to find something to make you remember," Hikaru's spirits were renewed, and she grinned impishly at the two. "If those two couldn't I mean…"

"What?" they asked, but Hikaru shook her head slyly and turned back down the hall.

"See you at dinner!" she called over her shoulder, and they nodded, still a bit confused, and headed toward their rooms.

*

"I can't make a speech to Nobles!" Umi shouted when Caldina brought her the news. "I don't even know these people and I'm supposed to lie to them and pretend I have my memory back?"

Caldina winced, "Well, not lying per say…"

"It is so lying!" Umi raved. 

"You have to, they need to be reassured that a second darkness doesn't fall over them."

"A second darkness is falling over them!" Umi spun and glared at Clef who stood in the door when she heard his voice.

Caldina winced, bowed and shuffled out, "Call me when you're ready to get changed Umi-hime."

"Yes, but for them to fight it they have to know that you are who you are. They have to be assured that you are the Princess' that will save Cephiro once more," Clef argued back, and Umi shook her head.

"We didn't save them before, from what I've heard. All we did was run," she glared at him, and he nodded and tried to explain.

"But you've saved them many times. You saved them when there were attacks from Autozam and Chizeta, you saved them when Emeraude and Zagato were falling in love and Cephiro was failing. You've done all this for them, and they trust you with their lives. But for them to be willing to fight they have to know it's you. If that means a little white lie until you do get your memories back, then…so be it."

Umi looked at him and nodded, "Fine," she muttered, and he smiled softly and bowed.

"Arigato, Umi-hime," he walked out and summoned Caldina for her who sighed gratefully and reentered.

"So, about your outfit…"

*

"So I have to pretend I'm a Princess," Fuu looked at Ferio, and he nodded. "And I have to pretend that I know what I'm talking about when I really don't…"

He nodded again, "Look, I know that it's going to be difficult, but I have all the faith in the world in your capabilities." 

'Look at me,' he thought to himself, 'being so formal. This is Fuu-chan, and I'm talking like a stupid Noble!'

"I guess I could at least try," she sighed and didn't like deceiving, but she felt Ferio wouldn't ask it of her unless it was of utmost importance. 

"Oh and one more thing," Ferio turned to her as he was about to walk out, and she looked up at him.

"Hai?"

"You have to come in on my arm and eat with me and at least let me have one dance."

"What?" she blushed, and he grinned, his normal grin. He winked then, and walked out. She was still blushing as he left.

She walked to the closet and pulled out the most gorgeous dress she could find; she wanted to look presentable for F…the Nobles.

*

Hikaru paced the room and Lantis and Eagle offered encouraging words. She screamed in aggravation and threw her hands into the air. The dress she wore had flaring arms and they floated gracefully downward with her rapid movements. "I'm supposed to get up there and lie to my people? I'm suppose to get up there and tell them that Umi-chan and Fuu-chan and I are back to normal, that the Kingdom's safe? It's not!"

"Hikaru-hime, it's okay," Eagle tried, but she shook her head.

"No Eagle, it's not."

"It's vital to the stability of the country," Lantis tried another approach.

"Lantis is right," Eagle added, and Lantis eyed him suspiciously but didn't say a word, only grunted. "Guru Clef wouldn't have wanted it if it wasn't for a very good reason. None of us like lying to them either." 

Lantis would have laughed at this except it wasn't funny, and he wasn't one to laugh.

Hikaru sat on her bed and put her head in her hands miserably, "I guess I'll have to do it then, if both of you think I should."

They both nodded, and she nodded in return and sighed heavily. She stood and offered an arm to each of them, "Then will you escort me to dinner?"

"I'm sorry Hime, I'll have to give the honor to Lantis tonight. I have things to…attend to," Eagle put her arm on Lantis', and she looked at him worried and confused. He grinned at her and walked out. Lantis watched him with a deep suspicion as he went. Hikaru watched Lantis, confused even more.

"Lantis?" she asked, but he shook his head.

"Shall we go?"

She nodded, and they walked out and down to dinner.

*

"They're having a grand dinner tonight," Eagle appeared in front of her. There were deep circles around his eyes in the eerie half-light. "The Knights are going to speak to the Nobles, lie to the Nobles. Umi and Fuu have yet to recover their memories. They will be vulnerable."

She laughed insanely, "So they haven't have they? Well well well, they're lying to their closest allies, bad idea. I think I'll drop by their little party and see what they're offering. Maybe I'll change the minds of some of their dear dear friends," she kissed him lightly and then left. He quickly returned to the palace and slipped into a seat next to Hikaru, smiling warmly at her and looking around him. Lantis noticed, and his eyes never left his best friend. There was something wrong in his eyes. 

Halfway through the dinner Hikaru stood, and rang her glass with a small fork used for some sort of seafood that closely resembled crab. The other two stood and followed her example, and there was a quick hush around the room so that Umi and Fuu blushed heavily. 

All eyes were on them, and Hikaru began to get nervous. Umi and Fuu looked around hesitantly and smiled warmly at people that they should know but didn't. Fuu looked to Ferio who smiled encouragingly, but she couldn't find strength even in that.

"People of Cephiro," Hikaru began, but there was no hesitance on her face. Eagle and Lantis looked back and forth nervously. "You have all suffered a horrible loss."

The people nodded solemnly but stayed silent. 

"And I hate to think it was at our hands…"

"Never Hikaru-hime!" shouts when up, and she smiled at her people, the smile that had won their hearts so long ago. 

"All the same," she began again. "We fled when we should have stayed. We left you to defend our country. That was wrong, and I'm going to apologize for it by saying this, with the new Darkness close at hand we will not flee. We will stay and fight."

There were gasps, and Lantis and Eagle sighed heavily and shook their heads. 

Clef's eyes narrowed, and Ferio buried his head in his hands. 

"New Darkness?" a Noblewoman shrieked. 

"And I can't lie to you and tell you we're fully prepared," Hikaru said softly. "We're close, but we're not yet there. Umi-chan and Fuu-chan have not yet recovered their memories, but it's going to be soon, isn't that right Clef-san?"

By this time Clef's eyes were virtually popping from his head, "R-right," he stumbled and tried not to glower at Hikaru as calm engulfed him, and he regained his composure. 

"Well what will we do if…" someone started, and their sentence was finished by the most unlikely of characters. A woman, her gown was glittering white and her long blond hair fell down her shoulders in curly waves. Her eyes were bright green and sparkled with mischief and anger. Her form was sleek and curvy. The three girls stared at her as she entered the door and stood at the end of the table. Everyone turned to look, and she smiled a hateful smile.

"Hai?" Hikaru blinked, wondering where this woman had come from.

"Hikaru-hime," she smiled softly and cruelly at the same time. "We finally meet."

"Back away," Clef ordered sharply, and everyone was startled as Nobles fled from their seats. His staff had an eerie blue glow already beginning to surround it. "I banished you once and I will not hesitate to do it again."

"Oh but Clef," she pouted, her lips forming into a mock playfulness, "It really is so dismal on that side of the world. I want to stay here and play with you." Her hand opened and a ball of purple magic was thrown toward him. He closed his eyes and mumbled a few words under his breath and a shield appeared around him and those near him. The magic was easily deflected. She sneered but didn't look at all worried. Her eyes turned from Clef and his staff, but her hand stayed put, she was constantly watching the Master Mage for a sneak attack. She let her eyes drift toward the other two girls though. Immediately Ferio and Ascot stepped in front of Fuu and Umi. She laughed and opened her hand toward them. Clef immediately shielded the two boys, which made her giggle in joy as she disappeared quickly and appeared on the other side. Clef's eyes flew open but his magic was too late as she hit the girl's vulnerable backs and had them sprawling on the ground in anguish.

"My dear Guru, it seems you're losing your edge," she laughed cruelly. "After 745 years though I don't see how you couldn't."

"You are older than me by centuries," he spat as Lantis stopped Hikaru from coming to the aid of her friends. 

She hid a fake giggle behind a gloved hand, "Ooh, well than that makes it all the better. Centuries older and I'm still stronger, and we all know I look better," she looked at all the faces of the cowering Nobles, as if expecting an answer. "Well," she looked down at Umi and pulled her up with a wave of purple magic. "You think so don't you?" she asked Umi once she had grabbed her by the throat. "You know something about beauty don't you?"

"Let her go," Ascot was grinding his teeth so badly that he could barely speak through them. He had his hand raised but could use no magic in fear of hitting Umi. 

"Your vendetta is with me, not with them," Clef couldn't contain the worry in his eyes. 

"My vendetta is with all of Cephiro, mostly with them," she spat and threw Umi to the floor in disgust. "I only hate you for trapping me there, I hate them for the sentence." 

"We're-we're sorry for whatever we've done," Fuu begged quietly, on her knees now. "Just please don't hurt anyone."

A new light shone in the woman's eyes, a sick one, full of pure anger, "Please don't hurt anyone," she mocked. "The all forgiving Wind Knight, it's been a long while since I had the pleasure of seeing you cower to me. You weren't all forgiving when you ordered me there were you! Do you know what it's like? Do have to live off of other people's misery to survive? To have to be the strongest always in fear of someone eating you first?" 

Fuu's eyes widened in fear, and her lip began to tremble. 

"Didn't think so, all you've known is your precious beautiful Cephiro, but you don't even remember that now do you?" she turned her head in disgust. "You don't even remember _him_ do you?" she looked at Ferio who's eyes were rolling in terror. He searched the room, from Clef to Lantis to Ascot. They all knew what he stood to lose if the woman said something about Fuu's past. They all prayed that she wouldn't. 

"Of course I remember him!" Fuu shouted, and everyone's eyes shot up, but the realization dawned on Ferio when he saw that her eyes hadn't glazed over in sudden memory. She was merely acting; he couldn't help but let his heart drop and be pushed back into his stomach. 

"Away!" Clef shouted suddenly and with a force and blast of magic forced her to the ground. She stood heavily and glared at him, but they saw her weakness. 

Hikaru closed her eyes and raised her hands as Clef raised his staff, "Akai…" she began, but she didn't finish because the woman had gone, fleeing from the Magic Knight of Fire and the Master Mage, the two strongest spell masters in all of Cephiro. 


	11. Chapter Eleven

A/N: Sorry this is so short, but I hadn't posted in so long, I thought I probably should at least write something and stick it on fanfiction. 

Chapter Eleven

Hikaru and the others helped the Nobles up and helped them safely away, begging with them that they should trust their protectors and be sure that they would find a way out of this. When they were safely away, the two girls were completely shocked, numbed with the sudden appearance, though the pain she had inflicted was long forgotten. 

"Wha…" Umi had to calm herself and start again. "What was that?"

"That was Shadow," Clef said softly, and Fuu shook her head.

"No, she was different…she had navy blue hair before…" Fuu began, but Clef stopped her.

"Her appearance changes to suit her needs. She had to get past the guard, and the only way to do that was to change her appearance to be a pretty Noble girl. Her true form would make you want to stop breathing. She is nothing human and never will be," he explained.

"Clef, Ferio, Ascot, Lantis and Eagle, I need to speak to you, now…in private," Hikaru ordered, and those she had called followed her obediently, hesitantly, but obediently. This left Umi and Fuu alone to let their minds wander. 

After there was a long silence, Fuu turned to Umi and asked meekly, "What's going to happen to us?"

"I don't know," Umi shook her head, her long blue hair swinging behind her shoulders. "I really don't know."

*

"She must be stopped," Hikaru said shortly when they had all assembled in Clef's study. "No banishment, she must be destroyed." 

"Hikaru-hime, that's quite impossible," Clef said softly, but Hikaru shook her head, causing her slightly crimped long red hair to flow around her arms. 

"No excuses Clef, she must be destroyed, and I don't care what it takes. She will not cloak my country in her darkness. My people will not live in fear of something that they have no way to stop. I will not see them suffer and die at her hands." 

"But…" Clef started, but Eagle interrupted him.

"Hikaru-hime is right, the people are suffering out there!"

"Arigato Eagle," Hikaru smiled at him, and he bowed. Lantis' eyes narrowed, and Hikaru sent him a concerned look so that he swiped the suspicion from his eyes.

"Well what do you propose we do Eagle?" Clef turned to the one who was so eager to chase after the Queen of the Shadow. All the eyes in the room turned on him so that he was the center of attention. He grinned almost evilly, and Clef and Lantis both caught it this time so that they looked at one another and exchanged a quick glance of mistrust. 

"It's really easy Guru," Eagle began, "all we have to do is send the Magic Knights and the Rune Gods on her. She won't be able to stand up to them." 

Those in the room were shocked speechless. 

"You're supposed to be a guardian!" Ferio shouted. "Why are you so eager to send the people we l…are trying to protect, into war?!" 

"I understand your worry Prince, but do you see another way?" Eagle persisted, and Ferio was silenced. There was no one in the realm stronger than the Magic Knights combined. There seemed no other way.

"Even if they were able to become victorious, they still haven't regained their memories," this time it was Ascot to protest. "And we can't force it on them no matter how much we want to. Recovering their memory could last longer than we have time."

"There is another way, a counter curse," Eagle started, but Clef shook his head.

"No Eagle, are you crazy?"

"It could work! She could do it!" he shouted, and Clef's eyes narrowed. 

"Do not speak of her in my presence!" Clef's authority silenced everyone, and Hikaru's eyes were fierce when she turned to Eagle and Clef.

"What are you talking about that you wish not to share with me?"

"There is a counter-curse that can be performed by a former pillar in thanks to the Magic Knights…" Clef began, and Hikaru's face paled.

"What?"

"But there are some serious risks, and losses associated with it. To perform a counter-curse on a dark spell takes its tolls on everyone involved. Umi and Fuu would not be the same afterward, nor would you Hikaru-hime," Clef finished.

"Not be the same?" Hikaru shook her head. "How so?"

"You would forget about those that lie deepest in your hearts. You would remember their face but not your love," Eagle said quietly and bowed his head. 

"What? No!" Ascot and Ferio shouted simultaneously. 

"I will not allow it!" Ferio added quickly. "I will not lose her!"

"Everyone! Silence!" Hikaru held up a hand and shook her head. "There is always other ways. For now we will remain in the state we're in, biding our time for the other two to regain their memories. No measures will be taken, no matter how subtle. Maybe luck will speed our time."

"Yes Hikaru-hime," they all bowed and walked from the room.

Clef stayed behind with Lantis and watched as everyone exited. Once they were gone he cast a spell upon the door and looked at Lantis with protective eyes, "How much danger are we in with him being in the palace?"

§§§~~~

"What was going on in there?" Umi asked as everyone emerged.

"Nothing," Ferio muttered, and Umi's eyes narrowed.

"There was an awful lot of screaming going on in there for nothing," she countered.

"We were trying to decide what to do about Cephiro," Eagle grinned at her, and her eyes flared up.

"And just thought that you'd leave us out?"

"Until you've regained your memories I don't think it will be possible for you to participate in events that concern Cephiro, since you don't remember what care it requires," he answered viciously.

Umi got chills from his response, and she looked at Fuu and noticed she was rubbing her arms. 

"What did you decide?" Fuu looked at Ferio, a man she had known for a very short time, but somehow she felt safe when she looked into his amber eyes. He smiled gently back at her and shook his head.

"That is for another time Hime," he bowed and walked out, and she watched him go, confused.

"He's very vexing," Umi muttered and turned to Ascot. "You all are, why can't we know anything? And why is Hikaru so suddenly in on everything?"

"It will all fall in place in time," Clef said softly, and Ascot turned and walked the other way, opposite of where Ferio had gone. Umi watched him go and shook her head. She tried to play it off, but this was all very confusing and hurtful to her. She didn't like being left in the dark, and more than that she felt as if she was alone in the dark.

"Lantis, Clef, maybe we should see to them," Hikaru said quietly, and the other two nodded and went in different directions to look after the other two. "As for you two, Eagle, why don't you take them around the palace, maybe that will spark something."

"It'd be my pleasure," Eagle smiled wanly and bowed as Hikaru smiled and went in the direction Lantis had gone to first see to Ferio before going and checking in on Ascot.

Umi and Fuu looked at each other and tried to hold back a gulp as Eagle waved a hand and urged them to follow him. 


	12. Chapter Twelve

A/N: Sorry, I've been working so hard on my other fanfiction that I've completely neglected this one. This chapter is kinda long, I hope that makes up for it. 

Chapter Twelve

Eagle led them silently through the palace, and all the while all Fuu and Umi could do was send each other nervous glances. "Would you like to see the fencing rooms?" he asked suddenly, and Umi grinned and nodded.

"That'd be lovely," she smiled. At last, something she could relate to in this cold world. 

He smiled back and nodded as they descended a spiral staircase into a dungeon-like atmosphere. Umi gulped as they walked further and further down, thinking that maybe the hasty decision had not been a good one. After all, they were with a strange man in a strange place walking down a very shady staircase. She was thinking about suggesting that they go back when they reached the bottom and a huge blue door. 

Umi walked up to the door and touched it gently. When she touched it, she felt a shock, and an image of her walking into this very same room appeared to her. She was wearing armor in this image though, strange…

"Umi?" Fuu's voice was in her head, and she shook it off and stepped away from the door. She shivered when Eagle walked past her and demanded to know what had happened.

"Just déja vous I guess," she whispered. "It was weird…"

"What did you see?" Eagle persisted.

"This door, only…it seemed like it was another time…and I was wearing armor, like modern-day armor. I was walking through. I could almost picture the inside…"

"Must have just been a coincidence. Have you slept recently? You might be coming down with a fever. Maybe we shouldn't go in, maybe you should go to bed," he suggested hurriedly.

"No, I'm fine," Umi tried to move past him so she could open the door. The feeling she got was that she needed to know what was inside that door. 

"No really, you might be getting sick. I should take you to Guru Clef," he wouldn't let her through. 

"No, really, I'm _fine_," Umi growled and tried to walk by him once more.

"You should really rest if you're seeing things," he whispered and grabbed her wrist, holding it so tight she could barely breathe through the pain. 

She ripped away and grabbed her wrist, seething in anger. She dared him with her eyes to try her once more, and her hands clenched. Fuu's eyes darted from one to the other, and Eagle nodded and moved away from the door, glaring hatefully behind her back. Fuu watched and waited for the next move. 

Umi let her fingers slide across the engraved 'S' in the door and the floral patterns before she pushed it open and walked inside. 

It was a simple room, with racks of swords on one side, and mats lay out in the middle. It had tapestries hung upon the walls of fight scenes of a girl that hid her face but was all dressed in blue and had long blue hair that flew behind her. Umi walked to the tapestries and tried to make out the face, but every time she came close to one the face seemed to vanish and fade. The woman had no face, but she felt a longing in her heart to see that face, to look into the eyes of so great a warrior. And a great warrior she must have been. She had fair skin and a fragile look, but she was the essence of strength. There were images of her riding a large blue Dragon that faded and trembled when Umi touched it. She jumped and gasped but then reached out to touch again. She could almost feel the scales beneath her fingers. She smiled and looked at the other images. The girl was standing with two others, these didn't have faces either, and Umi squinted, trying to make something out through the nothingness. 

"Eagle?" she asked as she walked from tapestry to tapestry, seeing the girl closely watched by Ascot and Clef in almost every one. "Do you know anything about this girl? Did she live here?"

"A long time ago," Eagle whispered and smiled almost cruelly. Fuu looked at this cold light in his eyes and shuddered.

"Who was she?" Umi asked as she reached up and touched the image of the girl dueling a stranger that seemed to be from a distant land; he wasn't wearing the clothes that were common to Cephiro at least.

"She was…" Eagle began.

"A Legend," a powerful voice boomed behind them, and all three spun to meet the flashing eyes of the Master Mage of Cephiro.

"Guru Clef," Eagle bowed.

"Get out of my sight," Clef hissed, and Eagle nodded and bowed again before exiting the room. "I'll deal with you later," he vowed under his breath. 

"You two, I don't want you anywhere alone with Eagle ever again, understand me? Hikaru-hime may have blind love for him, but I don't trust him. You two for your own safety must heed my word," he instructed, and they nodded though neither understood. Umi would have been defiant, but she suddenly felt very tired.

"I think…" she whispered and shook her head, trying to ward off the feeling of dizziness. "I think…" but she couldn't fight it off. Her body was weak, and the strength seemed to just run out of her. She fell into Clef's outstretched arms as he shook his head and pulled her properly into his arms. 

Fuu watched nervously. "What…?" she whispered after Clef had set her down and checked her pulse. 

"It's the room, it…has different effects on different people," his phrasing was careful, and Fuu caught something deeper in it. 

"Oh, will she be all right?" she would be easier on him than Umi, she would let it go…for now. 

"She'll be okay," Clef smiled and picked her up again. "Once she has a good rest. Fuu maybe you should get some rest too; you're not looking in the best of shape either." 

She was feeling very tired, "I'll just see how Umi is and then I'll go get some sleep," she decided, and he nodded, and they walked in silence through the halls toward Umi's room. 

They were walking in total silence; the only sound was Fuu's boots against the cold stone of the palace, when they heard a voice from the end of the hall.

"Guru?" they turned and quickly saw Ascot. "Guru, gomen nasai, my behavior was rash and…Umi?" his face was paled in horror. "Umi? What's wrong? What happened to her…the enemy…"

"She's fine Ascot," Clef calmed him only some. "She only had a feinting spell." 

He sighed heavily and nodded, "Do you want me to take her then?" he asked quietly, and Clef looked toward her room silently and turned back to him. 

"Of course, that way I can check up on Ferio since I know you're okay," he smiled and transferred the weight of the girl into Ascot's arms. He looked at her once, gently, and Fuu couldn't believe those were the same harsh eyes that had just looked down at Eagle so disgustedly. 

"Now that I know that Umi is in good hands maybe I'll come with you Guru, to…ask you some questions…" Fuu smiled sheepishly, and Clef chuckled softly and nodded.

"This way then, I'll be seeing you at dinner Ascot," Clef instructed harshly, and Ascot lowered his eyes and nodded.

"Why did you do that?" Fuu inquired when they were far enough away.

"Ascot won't eat or sleep until she awakens, and I know that she won't awake until late tomorrow. I can't stop him from not sleeping, but I can force him to eat, and if I'm lucky, I can slip him a potion at dinner to make him sleep," Clef explained. "He doesn't make the most wise decisions all the time, and I try to push him that way."

Fuu smiled and her respect for the Master Mage increased. She had respected him from the moment they came to Cephiro, but everything he did showed power and never ending strength. She respected that and was awed by it. She saw the same spirit in Clef as she did in Umi, though Umi's was slightly more broken because of the hard times she'd seen. Fuu couldn't help but feel that some of Umi's torment in her past life was her fault. Her past life…so their lives really were changing then?

Clef noticed that Fuu was in deep thought, so he didn't interrupt her until they reached Ferio's door. Fuu looked up when he stopped and noticed that she had been so wrapped up in her thoughts she hadn't even realized they had reached their destination. Fuu almost wished that she could go back to her thoughts because now that they were finally here she could feel the anticipation growing in her stomach. She wasn't sure why she was feeling this way, but she guessed that it had something to do with the Prince of Cephiro. 

That thought sent her wondering. When they had come here Ferio was surely Ferio, wasn't he? He was a college student, a friend, maybe more…but now that they were here he was suddenly a Prince? And what about Hikaru and Lantis? They were all students, even Clef and Eagle. So where was her place in Cephiro? Where did she and Umi fit in? Is that what they were hiding? It had to be…

The door opened, and Fuu met the amber eyes of the Prince of Cephiro almost unintentionally. She noticed that his eyes didn't stray to the Master Mage even though it was he who spoke, "Ferio I just came to see if you were…" he looked at Fuu, "all right." 

"I'm fine Guru," he smiled at Fuu, "now," he whispered so that Fuu barely caught it, but it made her pulse speed up and sent her blood racing. She could feel herself blushing and didn't dare speak, because she knew she would say something stupid. She couldn't stand to stare into his intense eyes any longer either though, so she lowered her eyes to the ground and pretended to be interested in the texture of the stone. 

"Well if you're okay then, I'll be seeing you at dinner," he turned, and his cape swooshed behind him as he summoned his staff back to his hands. 

Ferio turned to him for the first time and looked perplexed, "He always has his staff, where was it a minute ago?" he asked no one in particular, but since Fuu was the only one there, and she happened to know the answer she looked up and answered.

"Because…well…it's kind of a long story," she giggled helplessly and shook her head, looking down again. What was she doing? Being fickle like this? Falling for the mere image of a boy?

"Well we have a while until dinner, why don't you come in and explain it?" he suggested and opened the door for her.

Fuu didn't want to be cornered, knowing she would say something stupid that would give her away, but she also didn't want to be rude, so she walked inside and took a seat on his bed when he offered. "Well," she began and told the story of what had happened in the dungeon and what Clef had done and then told the story of Umi passing out. She finished with Ascot's arrival and their departure to see him. She vented all her confusion and frustration on him in one story, and he stayed completely silent until the very end, being as patient with her as she could.

When she looked up she looked into his amber eyes and saw tears, "I'm so sorry Fuu-chan," he whispered softly and shook his head, wiping away the tears that threatened to fall from his lashes.

"What did you call me?" she asked in a very tiny voice.

He looked up and into her emerald eyes and realized what he had said, "Nothing," he answered quickly. "I was just…never mind…"

"Fuu-chan…he used to call me that…" she smiled as she pictured her lover, in this very palace. He was standing in a long hall, not facing her. All she could see was his robes and his deep green hair. She ran toward him and could feel his name brimming on her lips, but she opened her eyes, and it was all gone. 

"Hai?" Ferio was sitting on the edge of his seat; all his hopes were bubbling to the surface once more.

"Nothing," Fuu shook her head and smiled. "Just a silly vision, it must just be the atmosphere, or I need some sleep. If I'm not careful I'll end up like Umi-san," she laughed and stood.

His heart fell into his stomach, and his hopes were shattered. "Yeah," he muttered. "Maybe…"

"Well, it was very good having someone to talk to Ferio, I'll see you at dinner," Fuu stood and offered a hand for a shake.

Ferio grinned and bowed before taking her hand and bringing it to his lips. "See you at dinner Fuu-chan," he whispered but before she had a chance to answer, Lantis burst through the door and turned to Ferio, "She's here," he said quietly, and Ferio nodded and walked out quickly, leaving Fuu in the room, alone, and very confused.

*

"This is not your place Shadow!" Clef's voice echoed across the steps as he held his staff in front of him. "Get back to the land we banished you to!"

"No!" she shouted and sounded almost like a four-year-old having a temper tantrum.

Fuu watched in the bushes outside the castle. She watched the battle that raged on the steps of the castle. She had followed Ferio and Lantis very silently, intrigued. Now that she saw what was happening once more she was mortified. Somehow she felt as if Shadow had her eyes on her, as if she knew she was there though no one else seemed to.

"I will not leave Clef! This is my new home! I'm sick of the dark! I want to come out of the shadows, I will be Queen of the Light and the Dark and everyone will love me. Those who do not will die!" she shouted and raised a hand. 

"No!" a beam of blue magic deflected her spell that was aimed at the bush where Fuu sat, trembling. 

Ferio suddenly knew what she was aiming at, as did Hikaru. 

"Did you know she was there?" Ferio demanded of Clef, who nodded. 

"But I could do nothing to stop it," he answered mildly. "Ferio, get her inside, you are her protector."

Ferio nodded and ran toward the bush where Fuu sat, quivering. 

Clef protected them with his magic as Ferio ushered her inside quickly. Fuu heard a shout of pain and screamed for the Guru, but Ferio forced her in the castle. 

"What do you think you were doing?" he questioned viciously as they entered. "You could have gotten killed!"

Fuu opened her mouth to speak, but he shook his head.

"No time for explanations, don't move from this spot unless you hear her enter or us call for you, no exceptions," he ordered, and she nodded numbly as he drew his sword and ran out once more. 

*

Ferio ran out to see a dreadful scene. Clef was lying on the ground, injured obviously, with Ascot and Lantis on both sides, keeping him from harm. Shadow was trying to reach him desperately, but somehow the two of them were fending her off. 

Ferio drew his sword and with his anger charged forward. He slashed off one of Shadow's hands, and she screeched so shrilly and so loudly that they had to clench their hands to their ears to keep from feinting. 

"You will pay for this Prince! We'll see if the Wind Knight regains her memory!" she screamed and vanished. Ferio paid this warning no heed and turned to look at Ascot who was leaning at Clef's side.

"Guru, what's wrong?" Ascot was asking Clef whose voice was weak and barely audible. 

"She just…attacked…rest is all…" he whispered and closed his eyes. "Source is drained…only a drainage spell…temporary…"

Ascot sighed and nodded, closing his eyes heavily as he looked up, "His magic has only been temporarily drained. As soon as he's rested and regained his powers he'll be fine. We just have to get him inside."

They nodded and Lantis and Ferio helped Ascot get him to his feet. They then draped one of his arms over both Lantis and Ferio and walked inside, escorted by Ascot.

Fuu watched them walk past, horror in her eyes. Ferio turned to meet her eyes quickly and shook his head but smiled weakly, "It's only temporary," he said softly, and Fuu nodded, the terror in her eyes decreasing. 

They set Clef down on his bed gently, and he moaned and turned in pain. 

"What's wrong Ascot?" Ferio asked, and Ascot looked down at Clef.

"When your source is completely zapped it's almost as if all the spirit has been drained out of you. It's as if you've lost your soul, your Will, everything in you dies. It's _extremely_ painful getting it all back. Guru Clef is in for a long, painful night. Someone should be with him at all times. I'll take the first shift, and you two go to dinner and tell everyone. Have someone come down after and let me know what's going on," Ascot instructed, and the other two nodded and left. 

"Guru, this is not a time for you to be invalid, please hurry and get well. We need you, Umi needs you," he whispered and watched as the Master Mage began to fight the long battle to health. 

*

Ascot sat with Clef until dinner was finished and Fuu and Ferio came to relieve him. He smiled at the two and walked from the room, weary and famished. 

"He'll go and sit with Umi now, he won't eat," Ferio muttered under his breath. 

"Shouldn't you…?" Fuu began, but Ferio stopped her.

"Presea will be sure to bring him food shortly. She'll see that he didn't go get something and find him relatively easily," he explained.

Fuu smiled, and Ferio looked at her curiously.

"What?" he demanded, and she laughed softly.

"You all operate so easily, like you've been doing this forever. You know everything about one another," and suddenly the severity of her words didn't seem so light anymore. They weren't something to laugh about.

"It's because we have," Ferio looked perplexed at her sudden downcast appearance. 

"Ferio, do you remember me?" she asked softly, and his eyes widened.

"What?" he whispered.

"Do you remember me?" she repeated.

"Of course," he answered.

"How?" she persisted.

"How…I…" he got choked up. How could he tell her how without revealing everything?

"Do you remember me as a student? Do you remember how we met?" she questioned.

Ferio wanted to tell her about the first time that he had ever laid eyes on her, so long ago, in the Forest of Silence. He would never forget that day, the first time he saw her, so beautiful, angelic almost, laughing with her friends though they were obviously very lost. He could never forget the way he guided them and was lost again, then reappeared in the mountains. The way she looked when she once again discovered him, alive and without many serious injuries. He wanted to tell her how beautiful she was at all these times, living in his mind, but especially right now, right in front of him. He was snapped from his thoughts with her voice.

"We met at a party, you saved me from all the eyes," she wanted to cry at his blank look.

"What?" he whispered. Party? What was she talking about? That wasn't how he met his Fuu-chan. 

"You don't remember," she shook her head. Another piece to the puzzle. What was going on? Why couldn't she understand? What was it she wasn't remembering? What was more important for her to remember? 

"Leave the Magic Knights be!" Clef shouted in his delirium, and Fuu's eyes shot toward him.

"Magic Knights?" she whispered and felt a start in her heart. Something dark pushed her to the ground, and she fell to all fours, coughing. When she coughed, black blood fell onto the floor, and she looked in horror as she realized it was coming from her. 

Ferio knelt by her side and touched her arms, trying to help her up, watching in disgust as she choked on her own blood. He led her out of the room.

"What…?" she demanded, and Ferio closed his eyes and knew the only way out of the spell.

"He's crazy, the words don't sound like words. I don't know what he's talking about. It's his fever," he lied fluently, and Fuu looked him in the eyes and suddenly the darkness seemed to disappear, and her coughing stopped.

"Oh," she whispered and coughed once more, softly, but no blood appeared. She put a hand to her head and knew that she had to lie down. 

"Go to bed," he instructed. "I'll look after Clef until Lafarga and Caldina arrive. Hurry now, you'll get sick if you stay up much longer."

She nodded, thankful for the diversion and walked toward her room; Ferio watched her until she was out of sight and then looked down at Clef. 

"You almost gave away everything," he told the Master Mage, but since everyone was safe for the moment didn't pursue it, especially because it seemed that Clef had problems enough of his own at the moment.

*

Fuu fell into the bed, exhausted. Before she knew it she had dozed off. In her dreams she dreamt of a Prince sweeping her off her feet, even after their bad start. She dreamt of the best friends that she could fight beside and of a huge winged Phoenix that was her soul. She felt free and happy. She felt her magic course through her and her bow that molded in her hands. She felt her sword that was unique and molded just for her and smiled. Sadly, the dreams would never be remembered. She would wake in the morning feeling refreshed but somehow unsatisfied. She would try to bring her dreams to memory, but they _were_ memories, and they were waiting for another time. For now, she would just have to wait, as would everyone else. 

All the while, Shadow was growing more bold, and she knew just where to attack now. All she would have to do to have Cephiro would be to kill the two Knights that had yet to regain their memories. All she had to do to kill them would be to tell them what they had to remember. The dark spell would work quickly; she just had to seek them out when that damn Master Mage didn't sense her, and when their protectors were far enough away. The time would come when they would be alone, and then…death.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

A/N: I decided to put memories in italics. That's about it, sorry for the wait, but I finally figured out where to go with this. Oh, and I have gotten a lot of requests for more Umi/Clef. I honestly didn't know that they were that popular of a couple, so gomen nasai, but stick in there, there will be some. For now, I hope this works a little. 

Chapter Thirteen

Clef was sitting in his study, thinking. The night had been difficult and painful, the pain was still haunting, but he was safe once more. His magic had restored itself, and he was close to health. He held a dagger in his hand, its hilt was silver, but it held teardrop sapphires in it. Inscribed in the base of the hilt were the Japanese characters for 'Sea of the Dragon Blossom.' Both his pointer fingers were one on the hilt, one on the tip, and they twirled the blade around as he thought. The steel tip was digging into his finger but not breaking the skin. He was looking out onto the ocean, his eyes would stray to the rest of Cephiro, but they kept mostly concentrated on the ocean. "If only…" he whispered and looked back to the dagger in his hands. He set it back on a shelf in his study and clapped as the shelf disappeared. His mind threw him into a memory.

__

"Guru," her long blue hair fell over her shoulders, hiding her eyes from his. 

He smiled warmly and invited her in, "What's wrong Umi-hime?"

"I'm not sure Guru, I feel…troubled," she kept her eyes on the ground, and his eyes grew concerned.

"Troubled?"

"I…" she threw her eyes up to look into his deep blue ones, "I…what if…what if Ascot was not meant for me?" her head fell down again, ashamed with herself.

"Umi-hime," Clef sighed. "What makes you ask this?"

"Because I feel…my heart wandering…what if it belongs with someone else?" it seemed she was struggling with herself to get the right words out to describe her feelings.

"Sometimes," Clef tried to understand the complex emotion of love himself, "sometimes you cannot return the feelings others have for you. Sometimes, you find yourself on the other end, and your feelings are not being returned. That is not a fault, it is simply human."

She looked up and smiled, "Arigato."

"It is my pleasure, you know I'm always here."

She nodded and exited the room; her dress trailed behind her, her slender body was agile like a dancer's.

"Sometimes," Clef mumbled. "Sometimes, you find yourself on the other end. Why do I have to be so right?"

*

Umi got up and found Ascot sleeping in a chair by her bed, sound asleep. Not wanting to disturb him, she rose and stumbled to breakfast; she had a pounding headache, but that was all that she had, thankfully. 

She sat at the breakfast table, but quickly jumped up when she realized Eagle was still dining with them, "What are you doing here?" she demanded as Clef entered the room. He exchanged glances with Lantis and went to stand next to Umi.

"What are you talking about Umi-chan?" Hikaru inquired gently. "Why wouldn't Eagle be with us?"

"He's evil!" Umi backed away from him and ran into Clef.

"Evil?" Eagle asked innocently. "Are you sure you're feeling all right Umi-hime?" 

"Last night you took me to the fencing rooms, and Clef stopped you from doing something, but I passed out right after you left. You're evil," Umi's eyes were cold and fearful. 

Eagle shrugged and shook his head when Hikaru looked at him confusedly, "You might as well call Guru Clef evil Umi-hime. He was the one who was there when you passed out, I had already left, remember?"

Umi's eyes widened, was it Clef, or had Eagle had this all planned? Her eyes turned to Clef's, and she held them. They were gentle and understanding, there was a darkness lurking in Eagle's eyes that she couldn't bypass. "You lie."

"Umi-chan, are you sure you're still feeling okay? Maybe you should go rest or something," Hikaru insisted, but she shook her head. 

"I don't think that I need to rest Hikaru," she answered simply. "I think I need to find out what's going on here."

They all grew silent, and Umi realized she wasn't going to get answers, so she screamed, aggravated, and left the room.

"Umi-hime," Ascot walked into the room as she stormed out; his eyes were confused. 

"Leave her be Ascot, she needs her time to work things out," Clef's eyes met Eagle's. "And if you _ever_ accuse a Master Mage of hurting a Mag…of hurting a palace inhabitant again, you'll wish you hadn't."

"I was just trying to prove a point Guru," Eagle bowed. "I will be more careful in my words at later occasions."

"You will not have later occasions, I do not want to see you around Umi or Fuu ever again. Do I make myself clear?" Clef's voice was venomous, and Eagle's shocked expression tricked most of them. Lantis and Clef both caught the danger in those flashing eyes though. 

"Guru!" Hikaru shouted and stood. "Why are you accusing Eagle?"

"Hikaru-hime, it is time you opened up your eyes," Clef whispered and walked from the room.

"Open my eyes?" Hikaru asked, and Lantis pulled her aside and explained in hushed voices what Clef thought. "That can't be…" her face paled as she threw a glance at Eagle who looked back at her, pained. "He wouldn't…"

Lantis stayed silent, letting her make her own judgments before they went back to their meal, though it was awkward and most of the food wasn't eaten. 

*

Clef found Umi in the gardens, sitting on the stone fountain. Her eyes were in deep thought. "Umi-hime," he sat next to her carefully, and she looked up and smiled, but her eyes were glazed and far away. Her hands were clenched tightly in fists, and her face was pale. 

"I suppose you're here to tell me I'm crazy like the others right?" Umi smiled weakly and tried to laugh it off, but it wasn't at all funny.

"No," Clef shook his head. "I'm here to tell you that Eagle won't hurt you again. I've banished him from your sight, and if I see him pulling any stunts again I won't hesitate to banish him from the palace."

She looked up, startled, and her hands unclenched, "You-you believe me?"

"Of course," Clef smiled and put one hand over hers. "I've always believed you Umi."

She blushed slightly, but something in his touch made her feel guilty, "I…" she didn't want to pull away, but her mind was telling her she had to, so she stood and bowed. "Arigato, for understanding," then turned and walked from the gardens. She put a hand on her head and tried to keep from getting dizzy. What was going on with her?

He watched her leave and shook his head sadly, looking at the beauty around him. He tried to force the thoughts away, but they kept surfacing. What if she didn't remember? What if she never remembered Ascot, what if he had a new chance with her? 

"No," he scolded himself. "She must remember, for the protection of Cephiro."

Eagle's eyes glinted, and he laughed to himself, so the Master Mage of Cephiro was in love with the Magic Knight of Water.

*

Fuu found Ferio lounging in the library. She blushed when he looked up and saw her, quickly banishing something he had been playing with to a chain around his neck. She tilted her head, trying to see what it was as she approached, but it had vanished beneath his shirt before she was able to see just what the object was. 

"Funny I find you here," Fuu grinned, and Ferio looked at her curiously.

"Why?" he inquired.

"Because this is where we first met, well…not really met, I just saw you for the first time. Only, it was in our college," she lowered her head, but he didn't remember that did he?

"Oh," he mumbled and after a moment of silence he offered her a seat next to him. 

"What are you doing inside on a day like today?" she smiled brightly, and his eyes darkened.

"Thinking," he muttered.

"About what?" she looked concerned, and it made his heart pound.

"You," he responded, and she blushed deeply.

"Why would you be thinking about that?" 

"It's a long story," he answered and looked out the window. "From long ago, I guess…"

"You haven't always been so sad," she reached up and touched his cheek and an image began to flash back to her. They were in this very library, she was wearing a long, flowing green gown and an emerald tiara. Tears were pouring down her cheeks, and he was trying to comfort her. "You…" she stopped when his hand fell over hers, and she looked into his amber eyes. "Ferio?" she tried to remember, concentrated, but the images began to fade. Her hand fell to his chest, she was breathing heavily. She felt the object under his shirt and pulled the chain from around his neck. He bowed his head a little so it would come off, and she looked at it. It was a tiny ring, made for a woman. It was an emerald that glittered with sparks of what could have been magic. She reached out and touched it, and she was almost thrown to the ground with the images that began to soar through her head.

{_She was sitting in the gardens, Ferio had found her there; he was grinning. They sat there together in silence for a long while, just enjoying one another's company, then he kneeled down. Fuu's head was racing, she was already crying. _

"Fuu-chan, will you marry me?" he asked softly, and she nodded as he slipped the ring on her finger, then picked her up and spun her around.}

{_"Come on Fuu-chan, we've got to go," Ferio urged her from their room. _

"Ferio, we can't leave them like this," she pleaded, but he shook his head.

"We cannot save them if we die, come," he pulled her out and into Clef's study where everyone was waiting except for Umi. 

"Where's Umi-san?" she demanded.

"Ascot's gone to get her," Clef answered; his voice was very tired. "We must leave right away; they're just outside the castle."

Fuu heard the screaming and ringing in her head as people fell victim. They called for a Healing; they called for the Magic Knight of Wind. "Windam!" Fuu screamed and tried to summon her armor, but Presea wouldn't allow it to come. "Presea, they're dying," she begged as tears streamed down her cheeks. 

"Lafarga is staying, it is his duty. They will be victorious," Ferio put a hand on her shoulder, and she looked into his amber eyes. There were tears there, but he couldn't hear what she could. They were screaming for the Magic Knights, and she was fleeing.

"I'm not going without him!" Caldina protested.

"You are," Clef answered calmly as Umi and Ascot walked into the room. Umi was screaming and clenching her fists, Ascot was basically dragging her into the room. 

She ran to Umi as Hikaru did, and the three girls stayed close, praying for the wellbeing of Cephiro.}

"Ferio," she whispered and buried her head in his chest. His eyes rose, but he didn't want to get his hopes up once more. "We abandoned them."

He closed his eyes and stroked her hair, closing his eyes as tears ran down his cheeks, "But not this time," he told her softly. "Not this time, come, we must see Clef."

*

"Then it is time," Clef smiled, and his staff began to glow blue as it engulfed her, and she felt magic surging through her veins once more. She smiled blissfully, and Presea raised her hands, and Fuu was pulled into a gust of Wind, and when she reappeared she was wearing her armor once again. She ran her hand over her ovum and smiled, "Windam," she whispered through her tears of happiness, and the Phoenix spirit tore through the skies, materializing as he did. He landed in front of her with a shriek of joy, and she ran to him, holding his head in her hands.

"Good to see thee once again," he called, and she smiled and nodded.

"You too," she whispered.

"Call if thou hast need," he instructed and flew back into her ovum before she fell to the ground in happiness.

*

Umi looked around at dinner when Fuu showed up wearing a long flowing green dress, much like Hikaru's red one, and sporting an emerald tiara. "What?" she whispered. 

"She has recovered her memory as well," Ascot told her softly, and she shook her head.

"Then…I'm alone," she turned and ran from the room, unable to bear the pain. 

Clef watched her go, distress in his eyes, but stopped Ascot once more. "You must give her time Ascot."

He glared and shook his head, "She's had enough time! She needs someone there for her!"

Clef nodded and let him go, 'But were you always the one?' he couldn't help but remember that day, that day years ago, when she confessed her darkest secret to him.

*

"Dammit," she hissed in the shadows. "You," she pointed at Eagle when he bowed and walked from the shadows that she lived in. "You cannot make another wrong step. Clef is onto you already; I knew he would be, but not this soon. You will get expelled from the castle, and all our plans will be fouled. You must watch your step."

"Yes milady," he bowed and disappeared back into the shadows.

"Another Magic Knight and Rune God revived. Then it is only the weak Water Knight that I have yet to tempt. Eagle, you must do this," she called after him, and he nodded and left, hate gleaming in his eyes. He would destroy Umi, and then take Hikaru as his own. He would bathe in the blood of the Water Knight. 


	14. Chapter Fourteen

A/N: Sorry about the delay, I've been kinda neglecting this fic again. I'll try to update more often, but I can make no guarantees. 

Chapter Fourteen

Umi paced the gardens, lost in the thought. That was how Eagle found her, and he grinned to himself. So beautiful, yet so deadly. He would see the end of the Water Knight if it was the last thing he did. He would see the Guru's downfall and his rise, next to the Princess of Fire. He tried not to smile, but look concerned as he entered and neared the Water Knight. "Umi-hime," he put anguish in his words, and the lie was convincing, so convincing it even surprised him. He tried not to grin at his accomplishments but put a worried look on his face. 

"Stay away from me," Umi warned, and his eyes filled with pain.

"Gomen nasai, Umi-hime, for whatever I've done, but…I didn't know you would react this way from the Guru's…mind games…" he shook his head and looked hesitantly toward the Palace. The last thing he wanted was for the Guru to sneak up on him and be leaning over his shoulder while he whispered words of mistrust into the Water Knight's ears. And the Guru did tend to have a nasty habit of doing just that. 

"What are you talking about Eagle?" she demanded, her eyes flaring in terror or…rage? He tried to keep back a grin; this was going to be fun… "The only one playing mind games is you." 

"Umi-hime, I would never endanger you. You have to know that, you above all of the girls. I would never dare to hurt you, I-I love you too greatly…" his eyes shot down, and Umi looked at him in curiosity.

"What?" she whispered. _Was this a trap? Was this a mind game gone wrong? But the sincerity in his eyes feels so real. What if it had been Clef? What if_…_No!_ Her mind scolded her fiercely. _But it could have been, Eagle did leave. It might have been Clef._ But something deep inside told her there was something about Clef that wouldn't let her believe that. _Well then…what if it was a fluke? What if I just passed out in exhaustion? Yes, that could be it…that could be…_He was so handsome, the smooth curves of his face were enough, but he had gorgeous brown eyes that held depths she suddenly wished to travel. His light brown hair fell over those eyes gently. Perfectly shaped hands came to swipe the unruly hair from his eyes. He couldn't be out to get her. If he was why didn't he just kill her here? He had to be in love with her, he wouldn't use that as a trap. 

"I love your smile and the way you move. I love your strength, your fire. There's nothing I don't love about you H…Umi-hime." 

Umi didn't notice the slip; she was lost in the words that no one had ever spoken to her. She was lost in a lie, and she didn't realize it. A deadly lie.

*

Something stirred in Clef, the comings of something dark. He looked out the window and shook his head, "Whatever has come to Cephiro, it is not good."

*

Hikaru looked toward the mountains and sighed; she was restless since Umi-chan's flight from the table. Eagle, evil? What could it mean? Clef wouldn't speak to her on it, and when she had approached Lantis he had merely told her that Eagle was a little stressed with his past memories. Lantis and Eagle were best friends; they always had been. What was it that was making Lantis stare so hatefully at his dearest friend? 

She shook her head and tried to understand, but everything was clouded by her love for Eagle.

There was a tap on her door, and Hikaru ran to get it. She smiled warmly when she saw Fuu and permitted her entrance. The two just stared at one another for a long time before they embraced and squealed.

"It is so good to see you're back!" Hikaru shouted, and Fuu grabbed her arms and nodded emphatically.

"It is good to be back. I don't remember not remembering, but not remembering you…or…Ferio or anyone…it must have been dreadful," Fuu shook her head and her golden locks fell around her shoulders in waves.

"It was terrible just seeing you not remember," Hikaru admitted. 

"I just wish Umi-san would remember too," Fuu hung her head, and Hikaru pulled her chin up.

"Umi-chan will remember," she said determinedly. "She always was the most stubborn person I'd ever met."

Fuu grinned and nodded, hugging Hikaru again before they both sat on her bed and began to speak of the old days. They tried to avoid the touchy subject of the evil lurking somewhere in Cephiro. They could feel all life in Cephiro, and everything they heard or felt screamed danger, but they would not speak of it, not yet. They would hold it off as long as they could and speak of only good thoughts until the point where they could not hide it any longer. Until then, they were determined to keep themselves and their people safe and content. 

*

"Umi-hime, gomen nasai," he reached in and kissed her deeply. At first she protested, but there was something hypnotizing in the way he kissed. The way his hands gently caressed the small of her back. He knew how to please, and she fell into the kiss, wanting it almost as much as she thought he wanted it. She didn't fight back, didn't protest. 

When they broke away she was shocked and abashed. "Well," she whispered softly, turning her head to hide her confusion. "Um…"

"I was rash, gomen nasai," he bowed, and she shook her head and waved her hands.

"N-no, I mean…you were rash, but…it's okay," she protested, almost wanting to kiss him again. _What am I thinking?_ _But that was nice, and he's so genuine. Why couldn't he like me? Just because no one else has doesn't mean he couldn't. Things are different here, and I have a feeling I'm a different person here._

"I just didn't want you to think it was me. Onegai, it wasn't me," he begged, holding his hands to her, and she nodded.

"I believe you."

*

There was a shudder in the water that both of them felt. "It has begun," Hikaru looked up slowly, and Fuu nodded.

"But the water…" she felt as if that meant something deeper.

"Do you think…?" Hikaru couldn't finish; Fuu shook her head, knowing what she would say.

"She's still alive; we would certainly feel that. Somehow, I think she's in danger, but…I can't be sure," Fuu tried to puzzle it out, but there was nothing. She didn't have enough information.

"I feel as if we can't help her though, as if she can only help herself," Hikaru looked to the floor. "Maybe we should check on her."

"But Clef said that we should let her cool down first. Even Ascot retreated when she screamed at him. I think he's still upset over it. We tried to tell him it wasn't him; it was just her mood but he wouldn't listen to reason," Fuu threw herself onto Hikaru's bed, her dress spreading out underneath her. "Do you remember when we were young, and Emeraude-hime was pillar? Do you remember when we could just play for hours and never be bothered? I wish it were like that now Hikaru-san. I wish things were simple again," Fuu slowly sat up as Hikaru nodded.

"But we are Princess' and Magic Knights, and we owe our allegiance to our country. I wouldn't change that, I just…" Hikaru couldn't find the right words.

"Need peace," Fuu finished, and Hikaru nodded again. 

*

Clef shuddered as he felt the presence of evil over Cephiro. It was stronger now; it had gained another foothold. It had gained something of influence over someone very powerful. He shook his head; his blue eyes were more clouded than ever.

"Guru," Presea bowed as she entered the room, and he turned and smiled at her. "I fear that…that something is dreadfully wrong with Umi-hime…"

"What?" Clef's eyes narrowed. Could this be the darkness he felt?

"She's…not herself," Presea tried to explain, but she was confused. "She chased Ascot out of the gardens in a rage only an hour ago, but now she's come back from them. Only, she's not alone."

"What do you mean? Presea, what's wrong?" Clef questioned. Whatever was wrong with Umi had to be the thing that was troubling Cephiro.

"You told him to stay away from her, but he did not heed your word. Umi-hime walked out holding Eagle's hand," Presea grimaced when he roared in anger.

"_What_?" 

"I saw it myself Guru Clef," she bowed again quickly. "And Ascot did as well. He will not leave his rooms. You must talk to her; she's not listening to sense from anyone else. She swears that he means her no harm, but Guru, I saw the darkness in his eyes. He isn't himself either."

"I will do this, as quickly as possible. Arigato Presea," he dismissed her, and she bowed once more before she left. He looked at Cephiro once more before he said a quick prayer to Emeraude and left the room in search of Umi. 

*

"Guru Clef will have me thrown from the palace for this," Eagle whispered in her ear as they saw Presea turn and head straight for his chambers.

"Nonsense," Umi waved it off, but winced when she heard Clef's voice behind them.

"What is the meaning of this?" his voice was a low whisper but angry enough to kill. When they turned Umi met razors in his eyes.

"You only said he was evil to hide what you were doing yourself!" Umi screamed suddenly. _No…_her mind said calmly. _No, remember? Clef didn't do it; it was an accident. What am I thinking?_

Eagle kept in the smirk, _soon…_

"Umi-hime, does that even sound close to what I would do?" Clef asked calmly. "I would never willingly endanger any of you, but you least of all. I am one your Protectors!"

"How am I supposed to know what you're capable of! I don't even remember ever knowing you!" she screamed, and Clef tried not to wince.

__

But you did know him, he was the same person in college. People's personalities and character traits don't change just because their memories are erased. He was caring then and there; he was the nicest person you knew. You just can't trust anyone, her mind taunted. _Not true,_ she spat back at it _I trusted Hikaru and Fuu…at least I think I did. And I trust Eagle._

Do you trust him or do you lust for him? Her mind countered. _You lust for any comfort because you've had none. Why don't you admit it? You don't know whom to trust._

Clef saw the battle in her eyes, the flickering from good to bad, right to wrong. She wasn't even aware of the two sets of eyes on her. Eagle's were angry, and Clef's were worried.

"Umi-hime, I'm sorry that you don't remember, but that is not my fault," Clef said patiently. 

"No," she shook her head. "It's not…"

"Eagle," Clef turned to the man, and he tried to contain his rage. "You will drop Umi-hime's hand and leave the palace, immediately."

"No!" Umi screamed, enraged once more. "You can't do that!"

"I can and I will," Clef answered evenly.

"Why? Do you want to see me miserable? He's the only one who understands!" Umi defended him, and Eagle once again maintained a miserable look, a look of fear. Clef caught the hidden smugness, the egotism. He wanted to strangle Eagle, wanted to destroy him, but as a fellow Protector he couldn't raise a finger to him. He could, however, shun him from the palace. He could do that, and if that was the only way he could protect the Knights he would. He would force Eagle from the palace and hopefully that would keep them safe, or at least buy them some more time. Clef knew one thing though; Eagle had become danger. There was something that had corrupted his heart, and he couldn't stand to have him near the one he protected. 

"He is only using you," Clef told her flatly. "He is only trying to get to you, and I'm not sure why, but he is."

"Why do you say this Guru Clef?" Eagle put offense into his voice and commented himself on his talent of lying.

"Because I can see right through you," when Clef looked at him he held back a shudder, because he knew the Master Mage _could_ see through him.

__

Very well, let him see he thought bitterly, _nothing is going to stop me from killing the one he loves. Nothing. _

"What is the meaning of this?" Hikaru demanded as she and Fuu walked into the gardens. She put on her most regal tone and looked around questioningly. Fuu shook her head and let her green-flecked eyes bore into Eagle's. There was something wrong in his eyes, but she knew Hikaru would never listen to her.

"Clef is trying to send Eagle from the palace!" Umi shouted, knowing that Eagle protected Hikaru. She knew that much; she had gathered that much. There was no way Hikaru would permit Eagle to leave the palace. She smiled in triumph when Hikaru shook her head and responded sharply.

"Impossible."

Eagle smiled warmly at her, and she looked at him and Umi curiously. He shook his head quickly, and Umi felt it behind her. 

__

Did he just deny kissing you-loving you? No, couldn't be…but…he definitely shook his head, and Hikaru definitely asked with her eyes. 

Is this a trap? Is he playing games? What's going on?

"I agree with Guru Clef," Fuu said softly, and Hikaru's eyes grew wide as she turned to look at Fuu.

"What?" Hikaru whispered.

"I think that if Eagle is in love with Umi-san he should not be permitted to protect you. You should release him of his duties. In doing so, he cannot be permitted to stay in the palace any longer," Fuu said practically, and Clef admired her wisdom and nodded his approval. This would prove what Eagle was really after.

"No!" Eagle shouted, and Umi's eyes narrowed. "Hikaru, please, don't release me. I don't want to be separated from you. Please," he begged, and Umi turned to stare into his brown eyes. It seemed she was extremely mistaken whom he truly cared for.

__

That's it Clef thought to himself. _He wants Hikaru. He's always wanted Hikaru, but…this is serious._

"I…do you love her Eagle?" Hikaru asked. She knew if he did there was no way he could remain her Protector. Once a Protector fell in love there was no way he could keep his eyes on the one he protected any longer, unless, of course, the one he loved was the one he protected. 

"No Hikaru, I love only my duty to you," he answered, and Umi threw up her hands.

"Release him anyway, I knew something was wrong," then turned and ran from the group once more. She would never find someone to share her heart with. She needed to be alone, that was the only place she was safe.

"Umi-hime," Clef sighed and ran after her. Fuu turned back to Hikaru whose eyes were plagued with doubt. She…could she release him?

"Hikaru," Eagle didn't need to pretend to beg.

"Eagle, I'm not sure what it is…what you've done, but…I must…at least suspend you from your duties, for now…only for now…" she couldn't turn her eyes from the anguish reflected in his eyes. She hated doing this to him, but she had no other choice. She had to protect her people, and if this was the only way…_First Clef, now Fuu, there is something terribly wrong with him_. "You must leave the palace."

*

She slammed her hand into her chair, "You have failed again Eagle!" she screamed. "And let the Water Knight slip through your hands! You had her! All you had to do was convince her to get that Mage dog off of your trail, and we would have been triumphant, but you got caught! You are more stupid than I thought possible!"

"I am only suspended milady, I'll work my way into Hikaru's good graces once more. She cannot go without me for long; she is…" How could he put into words what she was? "She is caring."

"Caring," she scoffed and shook her head but nodded. "Once more Eagle, once more and then you will have failed me for the last time. I do not take failure very well, but for you I will allow one more chance. If you fail again do not come back."

"Very well, thank you milady," he bowed and disappeared, off to find a way back into Hikaru's eyes and back into the palace of Cephiro. Then, then he would finally have her, just where he wanted her. 


	15. Chapter Fifteen

A/N: This is a short chapter, but it was one of those scenes that you have in your head even before you start the fanfiction. And all you do is build the fanfiction around it, so I just wrote it and then added stuff to make it another two pages. Next chapter will be longer, I promise. 

Chapter Fifteen

Umi ran from them. She ran as hard and as fast as she could, wishing only that she could spread wings and fly from this place. She wished she had never come here, here was no different from earth. Why did they have to torment her so? Why couldn't she remember? Was she just that weak? She wanted to remember, with all her heart, and the images were there, she just…she couldn't make them out.

Tears blinded her as she ran, and she barely noticed when she had run to the Master Mage's study. She gasped, realizing where she had been running to, "Clef?" she whispered. Could he help her? _No, _she thought angrily, _I've _tried. _He refused to help me._

"Umi-hime," a gentle voice made her spin, and the waves crashed in her eyes when she saw Clef's gentle blue eyes.

"What do you want?" she snapped.

"To know why you're standing outside my study," he answered simply, and she looked back from him, to the doors.

"I-I…don't know," she admitted and hung her head. "I just don't know anything."

"Come inside," Clef offered as he threw open a hand and the doors swung wide. "I don't know what I can do, but…maybe, just maybe…I can help."

__

I don't want to do I? He asked himself but banished the thoughts. _It was my spell; I don't want her to remember, could that be causing this lapse? Stop it!_ The sensible half of his brain shouted as he led her into his study.

She stared around her in wonder at the rows and rows of not just books, put parchments and documents. At the very back was a large desk cluttered with parchments and small trinkets that he must have been experimenting with. Clef sighed and clapped as everything vanished from his desk to some unknown place. He leaned against the front as he took everything about her in with a penetrating gaze.

Umi looked at the ground and knew her cheeks were flushed. She did like the way he looked…_What are you thinking?_ A voice in her mind growled. She didn't understand that voice. Why did it feel so wrong when she thought of Clef like that? _Because he's the Master Mage…_she sighed to herself, but no…that wasn't it.

"As you've most likely noticed there are things from your past you don't remember…" Clef grimaced, not wanting to go too far into the story. _What if I slip or say something I don't think about first and she dies? I must not let that happen, I must be extra careful._

"Yes, something about us being Princess'," Umi sniffed. She couldn't imagine herself leading an entire country, even with Fuu and Hikaru's help.

"Yes something about that, and something about Shadow. I can't tell you more, it may-harm you."

She looked into his concerned blue eyes and felt as if she had been here before. Standing in front of him like this, looking into those eyes, confessing her deep secrets except for maybe one. She tilted her head and the image was gone, and hope was vanquished from his eyes, "I wish I could remember."

"Me too," his said softly, pushing it from his throat.

She walked forward in an impulse and ran a porcelain hand over his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into the embrace, smelling lavender and roses from a recent bath. She was about to pull back, but he gently gripped his wrist and pulled her toward him. She gasped softly, not out of fright but out of surprise. Being wrapped in his arms felt good. She smiled gently as he bent down and kissed her, but the kiss wasn't gentle as she had expected, it was fiery and passionate, and she felt warmth flood all over her body. 

She looked up into his eyes, "Guru?" she questioned, and everything came flooding back in a rush.

__

{She was standing in this very study, confessing to Clef that she possibly didn't love Ascot the way he thought she did. That, what if Ascot wasn't the one? She felt her heart pounding, because she knew the man in front of her was the one}

{Ascot smiled softly as he kissed her gently, in a way unlike the kiss she had just gotten. He grinned and took her hand as they walked around the gardens, talking and laughing, but somehow something wasn't the same as it had been. It seemed almost as if something was missing.}

{"I bet you can't beat me," Umi challenged, and Fuu and Hikaru gave it their best, but never did beat her. 

"You are certainly the best Umi-chan," Hikaru grinned, and Umi bowed teasingly, flourishing her arms.

"Let me try Umi-hime," Eagle walked forward and laughed at his quick defeat. "I should have known if Hikaru couldn't defeat you I certainly couldn't."

That was the Eagle she knew, she remembered._}_

{"Come on Umi you have to come!" Ascot shouted desperately, but she couldn't abandon her people, no matter what Clef said.

"No!" she screamed and heard the clangs of metal in her head and the boots on grass. She heard Selece and the ocean scream. She heard the waves crash angrily in her head and tried to cast, but Ascot grabbed her arms and pulled her away.

She met them in Clef's study, and he was ready. He seemed to sigh, but all she could do was glower at him. He sighed sadly and shook his head, then raised his hands and all was lost.}

She pulled away quickly, guilt flooding through her.

"Hime?" he whispered, and she turned and scampered out of the room. "Umi wait!" he called after her but she kept running. 

*

She sprawled into Hikaru's room only to find Fuu there as well.

"Umi-chan?" Hikaru looked concerned. 

"I remember," Umi whispered, and tears began to pour down her cheeks. She couldn't be strong, not now. Not that she had betrayed Ascot, not now that she had finally learned that Clef cared for her too.

"Umi-san," Fuu and Hikaru knelt by her side and comforted her the best they could. 

"You haven't gotten your ovum," Hikaru told her softly and touched her hand where her ovum should lie.

"I can't face him," Umi shook her head. "Not now," she laughed bitterly. 

"What happened?" Fuu's eyes were worried, but curious all the same. Just what was it that could rip the strength right from her body?

"It's too complicated, everything is just too complicated…" 

*

"Damn that Water Knight!" she screamed and threw a hand against the wall.

"I'm sorry My Lady," Eagle bowed to her, but she shook her head.

"No Eagle, sorry will not undo what has been done. You will pay for this, and pay dearly," she whispered. "The first I kill will be your Fire Knight. The first will be her, and then the Wind Knight, and then I'll leave the Water Knight to suffer."

"No!" Eagle tried a spell, but she quickly shielded it and used another. She threw him against the wall, and he lie there, completely still.

"Fool!" she shouted for herself more than Eagle, "I should have known it was the Fire Knight all along. Not even a Protector can completely turn."

*

"Umi-chan, you have to go get your armor and your magic," Hikaru told her softly, and Umi shook her head.

"Can't face him," she whispered, and they looked confused. "I can't look into his eyes. They-we-know."

"Come on," Fuu and Hikaru helped her up. "We'll take you to Ascot."

"No!" Umi protested, but they didn't take no, they pulled her with them and took her to Ascot's room.

*

"Umi?" he whispered, and tears filled his eyes. "My Umi?"

"Hai," the two nodded when all Umi could do was look down and mumble.

"What's wrong?" he let them in and set her on his bed. 

"She won't let us go to Clef to give her her ovum," Hikaru looked at Umi sternly. "But then won't tell us why she won't."

"I just can't face him," Umi mumbled miserably.

"Can't face your Protector? Umi that's silly," he laughed and took her hands. "Whatever Eagle's said…"

"Eagle," Umi's eyes shot open. "Something's happened to Eagle."

"I know," Hikaru looked down. "I knew I shouldn't have banished him from the palace, but I felt it too. I don't know what, but I feel as if…as if maybe there's good to be found in this."

"He was being controlled by Shadow Hikaru, he had to have been," Umi stood and clenched her fists. "I will destroy her yet."

"Well to do that you first have to get your ovum," Hikaru told her, and Umi nodded slowly. 

"I guess I do."

*

"Are you ready to retake your oaths and defend Cephiro, Magic Knight of Water?" Clef tried to keep his voice formal, but the hesitance was enough to make everyone question what had happened between the two. Whatever it was, it was strong enough to make Umi remember.

"I am," she answered strongly, and he nodded.

"Then so be it," and in a flash of blue Water magic Umi was wrapped up and her armor was replaced and the ovum on her hand glittered. 

'Magic Knight,' something from inside whispered, and she grinned and summoned him in spirit form. 

'Selece.'

'Trust thine heart,' he whispered for her ears alone, and she paled but hugged him all the same before he disappeared back into her gem. 

Clef turned his head from her and walked away. _It is best; I couldn't have lived in that fantasy world forever. She knows it too; it is best. _


	16. Chapter Sixteen

A/N: I've been really neglecting this story. Sorry about that, but this chapter actually turned out pretty well I think. Anyway, I hope you like, and sorry again for the poor grammar, I had absolutely no time to edit it, even read through it once. I have a test in American History and I was just too excited to put it up to wait another two weeks to edit it. (Lots of homework you know?)

Chapter Sixteen

Umi ran her fingers over her ovum and said a silent prayer to the former pillar. _How am I to defeat Shadow and rule when my heart is plagued with guilt and fear and regret? I need a pure heart, this has to be ended, or I'll never be able to take on Shadow._

But how was she to end it? She considered briefly going to Ascot and confessing, telling him everything, but the hurt in his emerald eyes made her cringe and scratch the idea. Then the only thing to do was to go to Clef, to tell him what they couldn't be. He had to have known. He had to know they couldn't be together, because of old laws and customs, because of her duty to Ascot. She had to put this behind her, to save them all. 

She slowly rose from her bed and smoothed her long flowing blue gown. A small silver chain around her forehead with a single sapphire dangling between her eyes was the only sign of her nobility. That and the silk gown she wore. Nothing else could have symbolized her as Princess, but the ovum on her fine silk gloves was enough to show her as the Magic Knight of Water and therefore one of the Princess' of Cephiro. She passed people in the hall and they dipped curtseys and bows quickly, mumbling words of respect. Umi smiled at them and told them gently to rise, but couldn't devote all her attention toward them. Most of her attention was focused on the two looming doors in front of her and the man that was standing in front of them, speaking in hushed voices to two serving women. He looked stressed, his hair was disheveled and his eyes were clouded with worry. His smile barely reached his eyes when he saw her approach.

"What's going on?" she asked immediately, and he looked toward the two women who bowed and scurried off to do whatever he had bidden them.

"Nothing for you to worry about," he answered, and the smiled faltered when she gave him an angry glare.

"I may have been last to recover, but Cephiro is my home and my concern, everything about it. The last thing I need is for a fool man to be keeping secrets behind my back, especially such a powerful one," her sharp tone made him remember everything about her to the last curve in her face. 

"Someone tried to break into the castle this morning, while everyone slept. The guards held whomever it was off, but not without casualties. There are five men dead and another three injured gravely. I have reason to believe it was Eagle," his voice was very formal, Umi guessed it was to keep the anger out.

"Tell me something I don't know," Umi muttered. "But why so obviously?"

"He was blinded by rage," Clef shook his head and looked at the ground. "He had been betrayed by Hikaru, and I have a feeling that, because you have regained your memory, he has been disowned by Shadow. She pulled away her strings, and he has no idea what he's gotten himself into. I'm not sure he wanted to get in to hurt someone, I think he may have wanted in to beg mercy."

"He won't find it here," Umi turned to see the speaker was Ferio. She was surprised by the anger in his voice. Though he had turned, Eagle and Ferio had always been friends, fellow Protectors, only fighting for the ones they loved. She couldn't believe even he would want to see Eagle punished. 

The disbelief in her face must have been plain because Ferio's expressions softened, and he began to explain himself, "Guru Clef is right," he nodded to Clef who nodded back, understanding himself, "he _betrayed_ Hikaru. He has shattered every custom, every law of Cephiro. The laws set down thousands of years ago, binding Protector to Princess. He forsook those laws and turned on not only the Princess of Fire, but the woman he loved. That cannot be forgiven," with the last sentence the edge came back into Ferio's voice, so Umi could almost see his hackles rise.

"How can we be sure that was Eagle?" Hikaru broke into the circle. Umi noticed the black rings around her eyes, and streaks stained her cheeks. Umi went to stand near to her dear friend and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Hikaru simply shrugged it off and turned blazing eyes toward Clef. "How can you authorize a hunt of any sort?" she demanded in her most regal tone.

"What?" Umi whispered, and sapphire met sapphire. 

Clef's eyes were the first to lower, surprisingly, a blush creeping across his cheeks. Umi guessed it was one of anger, "He needs to be found. We cannot face two enemies. We can barely face one."

"You cannot give permission to start a manhunt on a Protector!" Hikaru was almost shrieking, the tremor in her voice extremely apparent. 

"Calm yourself Hikaru-hime," Clef urged. "I did what had to be done, because none of you were in any state to do it."

"You did what you had no right to do!" Hikaru lashed back. "How can you know?" she broke down into tears again as her fists clenched into tight balls and her head sagged into her chest. "How can you know?" she whispered and didn't push Umi away this time. Instead she turned and buried her head in the girl's embrace as Umi looked over her friend to shake her head and glower softly at Clef.

"He must be found, there is no doubt about that," Clef's chin rose in defiance, and Ferio nodded his agreement.

"What is done is done, but many bonds are being broken this day. Come Hikaru-hime, he was my friend as well," Lantis offered his hand, and Hikaru pulled away from Umi to take it meekly, wiping away her tears. 

"I need to speak with Fuu, where is she Ferio?" Umi asked sharply the minute Hikaru and Lantis had disappeared down the hall.

"I…" Ferio looked down, "we had words. I don't know where she went. She left the palace, the guards saw her leave."

"You let her go!" Umi screamed. She was to the point of ripping out her hair. "You are her Protector and you let her go! It shouldn't matter how angry you are at one another! You are her Protector, bound to risk your life for her!"

"I would have," Ferio mumbled. "I would have, but she left in the night. I didn't know of it until just now. I'm on my way out now."

"See that you find her," Umi's voice was cold. 

__

Selece, she called in her mind, reaching out for the Dragon with her magic and her Will.

__

I am here, a voice more ancient than time itself answered.

__

Where is she Selece? Umi didn't need to guess if Selece knew who she spoke of. She knew he did.

__

Beyond the reaches of anyone but the Protector Magic Knight. It is futile.

What? Umi's voice was strained, even in her mind. What did he mean? Why was he speaking in code?

__

There are some cages only love can break, somehow she thought that wasn't meant to apply to Fuu.

__

Where can I find her? Umi persisted.

__

She not will be found by anyone less than her Protector. It is futile.

Umi sighed heavily and her shoulders slumped. Only the awareness of Clef's presence stopped her from crumpling onto the floor and weeping.

"He'll find her," Clef assured her.

"You're the second person to tell me that in five seconds," Umi muttered angrily, and Clef smiled that half smile again. She had the strongest desire to reach out and force him to smile for real. She knew she could. She shook it off and put back on her glare. 

"I know I had no right, but don't you see? He needs to be brought down. He will destroy you all," Clef was a little too close to begging for Umi's taste. 

"No," she interrupted sharply, "you had no right. You are still a Protector, bound to us, bound to _me_, even if you are the Master Mage."

"What are you going to tell him?" Clef asked mildly.

It threw her off balance, just as he'd known it would, and her temper cooled, "What?"

"Ascot," the name barely made it from his throat. Why talk about him when there was no need?

She rose her chin in an attempt to maintain dignity and spoke in a coolly casual voice, "I'll tell him what's necessary. I was not who I used to be, not who I am. We were both confused and unaware. I have regained my memories, and he is the man inside them."

Clef barely kept his head from falling. To cover it, he nodded, "Do whatever you think best Hime," he ended the formal statement with a stiff bow as she quickly dropped a curtsey. "Whatever you want," he muttered after she had seemingly glided out of sight.

"Having troubles with your Princess Guru?" his eyes widened as he spun, "Let me bring her to you."

"Can you not stop Shadow? They have all regained their memories with no ill effects. Rayearth, Windam and Celes have been awakened. Eagle will be found and punished; your inside connections are shattered. You have no chance against the Magic Knights."

"But I have one against you, which will bring the Water Knight, and I have Eagle, which will bring the Fire Knight, and sooner or later I'll have the Prince of Cephiro which will inevitably bring the Wind Knight to heel. 

"I've always admired a man with power Clef. Will you not consider coming willfully? I would treat you so much better than that Dragon Master," she stepped forward and assumed the shape of the most beautiful woman Clef had ever seen. His mouth dried, and he had to let his eyes wander. 

Her long dark hair fell down her back in luxurious waves, and her amethyst eyes sparkled with an unconfined lust. Her hips swiveled as she sauntered forward. The dress she wore was scandalously close to transparent, what color it had was powder blue with flesh tones. Clef knew the flesh tones weren't actually tones, but flesh. Still, thinking they were tones was a bit easier. Her many bracelets clinked as she walked, but it was to her slender white neck that his eyes were drawn. On a silver chain around her neck she wore a black opal that was sucking magic through it-his magic.

He threw his staff in front of the invisible string of magic in a vain attempt to stop her. She had already drained him to the point of death though; he was too late.

She shook a finger at him, and he fell to his knees; his staff clattered to the ground. Her grin was merciless as she towered over the fallen Mage and gripped his chin in her cold hands. Her hateful eyes no longer spoke of beauty, but of a vileness beyond recognition, beyond evil. "Aw…poor baby," she whispered and dropped her hold of his head to crouch next to him. "I told you I admired powerful men. I despise men who are too powerful though. I absolved you of that problem. Maybe if you're very good I'll keep you as my pet."

"I would rather die," Clef hissed.

"That can be arranged as well," she smirked and curved a finger while she stood. "Now come here, that's a good boy," she erupted into a mad cackle as Clef fought the magic that forced him to crawl on all fours to her.

*

"Nice to see you Guru Clef, who is your lady friend?" one of the guards smiled at the woman on Clef's arm.

He smiled casually back, "This is Sasha, she's a noble from afar, I've decided to show her some of the countryside.

His teeth ground as he fought with all his might to get the spell from his lips.

__

Stop it, Shadow hissed in his mind. _You're only making this more difficult on yourself. You cannot fight even my magic, let alone mine and yours combined!_

But he tried.

The guard smiled and let them pass unhindered, then gave curious glances to another sentry nearby, "I don't suppose Umi-hime will be overly pleased."

"What she doesn't know can't harm her," the other answered, and they both nodded to one another before turning to back to watch their posts.

*

__

Get out of my head! Eagle screamed. _You've controlled me far long enough!_

Eagle my sweet, I've brought home a friend for you to play with, he could see her gnash her teeth in a sick smile, even in his mind the image was granted to him. It haunted him day and night, but more than that was the image of Hikaru's red eyes. Confusion painted her beautiful, innocent face, confusion and horror as the order was passed. The first order for the death of a Protector. The order for _his_ death.

__

You do think about her far too much. I always thought you'd be mine. But I've brought someone else into my life. You should worry Eagle, what if I have no need for you? Her words were like pikes through his stomach, thrusting, again and again.

__

I would die, he smiled blissfully._ I could apologize to my Princess in death._

Well we can't have that, I suppose I'll have to keep you as well, she sighed, and his heart flared in rage.

__

Why? Why keep me when you have no need?! Shadow, the Magic Knights will see you dead!

I have a job for you, she laughed, and the noise rang through his head so he was silenced. He curled into a ball in the damp cell and began to shake, but it wasn't the cold. Nothing physical touched him, not here, not in this mental cage. No, it wasn't the cold.

*

"Can you ever forgive me?" Umi put a gentle hand over Ascot's, and he turned to look in her eyes. His grass colored eyes stared back at her sky colored ones, trembling with repressed tears. He was the pure look of innocence, and she wanted to weep with his eyes. "Please," she begged softly.

"I-I…" he looked away from her, knowing he could not deny her anything. "I need some time to think."

"I understand," Umi smiled weakly, holding back tears of her own and stood, curtseying before shutting his door softly behind her.

Once outside, she sighed heavily and leaned against the door. Her hands instinctively fell to her lips. His caress was so warm, so tender…_Stop!_

She shook her head and tried to refuse the thoughts, but they wouldn't cease. She was in love, and she knew it. He was in her head every second of the day, every minute. Every thought seemed to incorporate him in some way. She heard his name when there was no one around, and thought she saw him in servants passing by. Her heart skipped when he walked into a room, and she blushed under those sapphire eyes. The only thing that could protect her was her coldness, even her apathy. Anything to push him away, for the good of them all. Her cruelty would save them both, save all of Cephiro. She would not suffer Emeraude and Zagato's fate, she wouldn't.

*

"Fuu-chan!" Ferio's voice seemed to disappear as soon as it touched the nearest tree. Nothing carried in the Forest of Silence, but he knew this is where she would go. She hated the palace, hated to be indoors when there was such beauty outside. She would come out into nature to read or to just meditate, to be alone. She would certainly be here, but night was coming on fast, and he wasn't sure where she was in the thick forest. "Come on Fuu-chan, where are you?" he muttered and looked around him anxiously. 

"Why, I'm right here Ferio," a sweet voice said from behind him, and he grinned and turned around. As soon as he saw her he bounded toward her and wrapped her in a tight embrace. 

"I was worried about you, please don't run off without telling anyone again. There are dangerous things about this time of night, even without Shadow. Fuu-chan, I'm sorry that I angered you. I only want what's best for you, and if that means Eagle then…"

She put a finger to his lips and then pulled it away to kiss him softly. She looked up into her eyes and shook her head, "You have no need to worry Ferio. Shadow will take care of you."

"What?" Ferio tried to unwind his arms from Fuu, but they were held there.

"What's wrong my pretty Prince? Not so fun anymore that your Fuu-chan isn't here? You got it all wrong didn't you?" she taunted as Fuu began to shape herself into a woman that was taller than Ferio with jet black hair and matching eyes, with long, twisted fingers and a too small mouth with a sour expression. 

Ferio gasped and struggled to rip away, with magic and Will and strength, but it was no use, Shadow had a hold of him. Once she had what she wanted she didn't let it go without a fight. "Fuu-chan!" Ferio shouted, and the noise seemed to echo through the forest. Somehow, Shadow had managed to use magic in the Forest, and his eyes widened before he disappeared.

*

"Ferio?" Fuu looked around the clearing, brushing away tears. She could have sworn she'd heard Ferio's voice. _Silly Fuu, jumping at shadows, and hearing voices, _she scolded herself before realizing she had to go back, whether she was forced to face Ferio or not. It was dark and it wasn't safe to spend the night in these woods. She'd have to talk to Umi and Hikaru and hope they had better luck convincing their Protectors.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

A/n: I know it's been a long time since I updated and this chapter is short, but I've finally regained ideas for this story and the next will surely be longer if you stick with it. I promise. It just had to be ended where it was ended. It was screaming at me "End this here!" so I had to do what it said, I'm sorry! But please don't be so angry as to not review because there's a surprise in store for you all at the end.

Chapter Seventeen

"Where are they?" Umi demanded heatedly.

"I don't know," Fuu's cheeks were lined with tears. "I shouldn't have gotten angry and run off. I…so many things could have happened to him."

"Sh…Fuu-chan," Hikaru tried to comfort her friend, but Fuu was beyond comforting. Ferio had vanished when he went out into the night to find her, and Clef was missing as well. Umi couldn't help but feel her own words had a lot to do with his disappearance.

"Three of the Protectors gone," Lantis whispered behind them, and they all turned to face him. "Three of five and one turned evil."

"What do you think it is Lantis?" Hikaru inquired, but he shook his head.

"There is only one thing it could be," he answered, and Umi's hands clenched tightly.

"We will go and seek her then," she glared viciously, and Fuu and Hikaru stepped beside her, donning their armor as they did.

"It is our duty to our country," Hikaru drew her sword.

"It is our duty to those we love," Fuu echoed, and Lantis nodded his approval.

"Then I will come with you, as one of the last remaining Protectors."

"As will I," a small voice resolved behind Lantis, and Umi smiled warmly.

"Ascot," she seemed to sigh, and Fuu and Hikaru exchanged weak smiles. So everything would be put to rights.

"I will go as your Protector Umi, and that is all," he added, and Umi's heart dropped from her stomach.

"What?"

He shook his head, signaling that it was for another time, when they weren't surrounded by people, and she agreed, with sullen eyes. So he wasn't going to let her take him back and live a lie. She felt somehow…relieved. Yet, pained all the same. She shook the thoughts from her body and forced herself to focus on the task at hand, finding and destroying Shadow. Then, then she would worry about her Protectors.

Shadow laughed softly from the dark as she let the image fade, "Just what I thought they would do," she commented to herself, and was faced with three sets of angry eyes.

"You will be vanquished," Clef promised her, and she turned and stroked his face with a gentle hand.

"I wouldn't be so sure my pet," she mumbled into his ear and turned back to her crystal. Now, all she had to do was send them a few clues and wait.

"Oh Magic Knights," Eagle laughed softly as he appeared before them. "The things you get yourselves into."

"Eagle?" Hikaru rushed forward, but Lantis held her back.

"Don't, it is not the Eagle we know," he instructed, and Hikaru recoiled from his touch but stepped back all the same.

"Lantis," Eagle hissed, drawing his sword. "You always did want to get in the way."

"What has happened to you Eagle?" Fuu whispered, shaking her head.

"What would ever cause you to betray the one you love?" Umi screamed, then met Ascot's eyes and stepped back. _But you don't love him_, her mind reminded her. She instinctively drew her sword, hoping to banish the voice by banishing Eagle.

"Ah, Water Knight, how funny of you to say that," he grinned impishly at Ascot, whose eyes narrowed. "Why would one betray the one they loved? Seems like a good question to ask, legitimate. Unless, of course, you can't find an answer."

She stayed absolutely silent, and he nodded.

"That's what I thought, so, I guess, I don't need one either."

"Eagle, what's happened to you?" Hikaru called, tears pouring down her cheeks. "Why are you doing this to us? Eagle I thought you loved me!"

"Hikaru-hime…" and in that voice was the true Eagle, so much of the true Eagle that Shadow was forced to recall him, shrieking angrily to herself.

Weakly, Eagle struggled in his chains next to the other two Protectors. He smiled triumphantly at her, those damned resilient eyes, "You cannot control everything about me Shadow," he grumbled through his chains. "You cannot ever control everything."

She reached out and smacked him hard across the face, "Next time she will not get away so easily," she vowed as the Knights continued on their quest.

They stopped in the Forest of Silence. Something about the looming darkness in the forest told them that they would surely find their pray somewhere here, "We're on her turf now," Lantis said in a low voice. He couldn't help but feel this was a trap, yet he stayed silent. He had no desire to upset any of them anymore, least of all Hikaru. All day he'd seen distress grow in all their eyes but since Eagle's heart-filled uttering of her name, Hikaru had become more and more worried. She had gone so far as to protest stopping; even when the moon rose in the sky and the wear on everyone was evident. No, mentioning a trap would not benefit them in the least. They all needed rest, and sleep wouldn't come easily as it was.

"I'll take first watch," Ascot offered, and they all agreed and headed to bed, with Hikaru holding Mokona tightly against her chest.

Umi lingered, and Hikaru was about to protest when Fuu put a hand on the Fire Knight's shoulder and shook her head gently. Taking one last glance at Umi, they both retreated indoors.

"You should be in bed, "Ascot mumbled though Umi hadn't made a noise, and he hadn't seen her. He'd simply known she'd be there.

"Couldn't sleep anyway," she came and sat next to him on the steps of the egg-shaped tent Mokona had provided them with.

He smiled weakly at her and turned to gaze up at the night sky.

"It's a beautiful night," she offered, but he simply nodded, never even turning. "You're still mad at me…"

"Not mad," he shook his head, and she tried to peer into his eyes, but his shaggy brown hair covered them from view. "Just…surprised…I guess…"

"It just happened Ascot," she pleaded. "I didn't even know who I was."

"But he did," he whispered, unable to keep from feeling betrayed by his teacher. "And somewhere you did too, and it was meaningful enough to bring you back to us-to him."

"No," she grabbed his arms and turned him to make him look at her, "You're the man in my past Ascot; I remember now."

When he looked into her crystalline eyes, welling with tears, he saw his greatest fears become reality. He just stared at her for awhile before he reached up and wiped a few stray strands of hair from her face, "Umi, you can't look at me like this and tell me honestly that you don't love him. I might have been the man in your past, but now-looking at you-now, more than ever, I know he's the man in your future."

"Ascot," her eyes trembled, but he knew those tears were not for him, not anymore. Somewhere along the way he'd lost the Water Knight's heart. He didn't know where or when or how, and he supposed none of that really mattered anymore anyway. All that mattered was that she was no longer his to love, and he couldn't stand to live a lie any longer, "I-gomen nasai!" The tars fell like rain down her cheeks, and even in his own loss he held her against his broken heart as she sobbed, praying for strength as he did.

"Aw, how touching," a voice as cold as the winter wind lashed against Ascot's ears.

"Fuu! Hikaru! Lantis!" he called, jumping up and pulling Umi behind him. So, Shadow intended to fight them on only a few minutes sleep.

The two Knights, followed by Lantis, sprang from the tent, swords already drawn, and he could feel Umi drawing hers behind him.

"So now, my Magic Knights, the ultimate test," Shadow cackled, snapping her fingers. Suddenly, in front of them, were their Protectors.

"Eagle!"

"Ferio!"

"Clef!"

"Yes, you've been missing them haven't you? Well, they've been missing you too," Shadow teased cruelly, and Hikaru stepped forward.

"You did this to Eagle!"

"Poor little Fire Princess," she stroked Eagle's cheek softly, and Hikaru's grip on her sword tightened. "He asked for it. Always went out alone, staring at the sky, mourning his loss, praying you'd remember. So I decided to spare him his agony.

"And the Prince," she scoffed, throwing her eyes to Ferio, "so quick to run after his Princess- so quick to pull an illusion into his arms. He never even saw it coming, not like the Master Mage."

Umi's eyes widened as Shadow shifted into the most beautiful woman they'd ever seen and sauntered toward Clef, kissing his silent lips carefully, "He liked the way I looked, even surpassing the legendary beauty of the Water Princess, so he let his eyes wander. Too late did they fall upon this," she held up a black opal dangling from a chain that flashed white and purple.

"Clef's magic," Ascot whispered, and the Knights gasped and stepped back.

"So long it's been used in the service of good," she ran the necklace under her fingers before she slipped it around her neck. "Now, it's time to see what it can really do."

She stepped back and snapped. Obediently, the three Protectors came to life, stopping to stand before those they protected. A smile curved on her lips, "Kill them."


	18. Chapter Eighteen

A/n: Sorry for the long update, all will be explained in time...

Chapter Eighteen

"No!" Hikaru shrieked when Eagle approached.

"Anything but this," Fuu whispered; tears entering her eyes as Ferio drew his sword.

Umi could only stare at Clef who raised his staff against her.

Shadow cackled menacingly, "Soon Cephiro will be mine; I've discovered the ultimate weapon."

"Never," Umi mumbled; the first to raise her sword into fighting position.

"Umi-san," Fuu gasped, and Umi looked at her desperately.

"Do we have a choice? It's them or Cephiro, and if Cephiro goes, they go too. Either way we lose."

"But…" Hikaru's eyes clouded, but her love for her country was overwhelming as she too readied herself to fight her Protector.

Fuu looked softly at Ferio; she was about to fight the only man she'd ever loved. With shaking hands, she pulled her sword into attack position and for the first time in her life, she felt its true weight, "Ashiteru Ferio," she choked, as a tear slipped down her cheek.

Eagle was the first to attack; he had been under the spell the longest. He charged forward, but when he met Hikaru's sword, she couldn't bring herself to fight, and her blade slipped from her hands. It was sucked into her ovum before it hit the ground. Eagle raised his sword to finish her off but met Lantis' stroke instead. Eagle's eyes flashed murder as he shifted his weight to better accustom himself to Lantis' strength and size.

"Umi, look out!" Ascot threw her from the blast of magic that exploded from Clef's staff, getting himself hit instead.

"Ascot, no!" Umi screamed and before she thought, "Koori no Yaiba!"

"Umi-san!" Fuu called seconds too late. The whirlwind of snow and ice began to hail down onto the Master Mage, and all their eyes widened in horror.

Clef, shocked, managed a shield toward the end of the attack, panting heavily and using his staff as a crutch to lean on, "Umi-hime?"

"I'm sorry Clef," she closed her eyes as she began to cast once more.

"Umi," Ascot grabbed her leg. "You can't."

Umi knelt down to where Ascot lay, and Clef began to attack her back, but Fuu caught it just in time, "Imashime no Kaze!"

Umi looked up and gave Fuu a grateful smile, "Fu…" but her call never made it to her ears as Ferio lunged and slashed a deep gouge into the Wind Knight's side, "Fuu!"

Hikaru turned from Lantis and Eagle's battle to see the Wind Knight lying in a pool of her own blood, sprawled out on the cold ground, "Fuu-chan!"

Umi jumped from Fuu's shield, leaving Ascot safe behind it as Hikaru joined her to stand in front of the Wind Knight. Umi met Ferio's sword and just barely heard Hikaru's spell, "Akai Inazuma!"

But Clef was ready this time and shielded it, moving forward.

Sweat began to pour from Umi's brow as she parried and attacked, refusing Ferio access to his lover. For a split second, she turned, hearing a sword clatter to the ground. She found it was Eagle's before Ferio cut her across the face and blood began to pour down her cheeks.

"No!" Hikaru summoned her sword to prevent Lantis' killing strike, barely holding Lantis' sword in front of the cowering Eagle. In her absence, Clef gained a vantage and pummeled an already battered Fuu with magic.

"Ferio!"

Umi, hearing her friend's shriek, jumped in front of the magic as it forced her to her knees. The fire of it seared her flesh.

"Ferio," Fuu moaned as tears slipped down her cheeks, "Why?"

"Fuu-chan?" Ferio's eyes snapped open as he surveyed the scene and ran to his lover's side.

"Damn it!" Shadow hissed, trying to latch onto Ferio once more.

"You've lost your hold," Umi whispered triumphantly as she tried to stand.

Eagle's eyes cleared, and he grabbed Hikaru in a tight embrace, "Gomen nasai, Hikaru-hime."

Shadow's eyes began to flicker – was that fear? "But I still have Clef _and_ his magic," she boasted.

"Not anymore," Umi smiled smugly and nodded to Ascot.

Too late did Shadow recognize the Summoner's presence and the minute his friend attacked, Umi leapt to where Shadow stood behind them and yanked the opal that dangled around her neck free. She laughed triumphantly and though weary, managed the short walk to Clef. She pressed it into his hands and leaned toward him, "Ashiteru," she murmured against his ear, and his eyes cleared. He pulled away and stared at her, then at the opal in his hand, then to Ascot who was still lying injured behind Fuu's barrier of wind. He didn't know who to apologize to first, but an inhuman cry snapped him awake to the reality where they were still in the middle of a battle.

Shadow tossed the small raven that had once been Ascot's friend to the ground, flapping its broken wings uselessly, and hate entered Umi's eyes when she looked at Ascot's torn expression. She raised her hand, her blue ovum flashing, "Selece."

Fuu nodded weakly and managed to stand with Ferio's help, "Windam," her voice was soft, even for her.

"Rayearth!" Hikaru sprang from her position next to Eagle, smiling bitterly.

This time they knew it was fear in Shadow's eyes when the three Rune Gods spiraled out of their resting places and landed in front of her.

"It's over," Hikaru informed as the three raised their swords. She didn't even have a chance to scream.

* * *

"How is she?" Hikaru asked anxiously when Clef exited Fuu's room. 

"She's fine, Ferio's with her," Clef answered wearily, and everyone was able to let out a sigh of relief.

"That's good to hear," Presea smiled, getting a nod from everyone.

"And Umi-chan?" Hikaru continued.

"She…" he grimaced slightly, "took a little more than a sword scrape. I – never thought – no one should have been able to survive the amount of magic she was hit with, let alone have the energy to keep fighting. She and Ascot are resting, but her internal wounds are plentiful and she's developed quite a fever."

"What does that mean?" Hikaru demanded frantically.

"Umi-hime will be touch and go for awhile is all," Eagle tried to assure her.

"Y-you m-mean she-she- m-might…" Hikaru's lip trembled, unable to contemplate the possibility.

"Don't be ridiculous," Caldina scolded.

"Yeah, if she survived all that magic she'll definitely get better," Presea's words brought light back into Hikaru's eyes, and both Eagle and Lantis smiled at her thankfully. She bowed her head slightly in response.

"Yeah, Umi-chan and Fuu-chan will be just fine," Hikaru grinned, and her smile restored everyone's confidence.

"Speaking of which," Eagle poked Hikaru gently in the ribs. "Don't you have some resting to do yourself?"

She turned to Lantis for help, but he just gazed at her sternly, "Bed," he instructed.

"You guys!" Hikaru groaned, cracking a few smiles before she wished everyone a good night while giving them specific instructions to wake her if there was any news on Umi or Fuu, "And – if –if- "

"We'll tell you," Eagle promised, and Lantis nodded.

"Bed."

She moaned one last protest before she nodded and headed back to bed. Eagle and Lantis exchanged glances, and Eagle chuckled softly while Lantis shook his head. Peace was finally being restored.

* * *

"I'm so sorry Fuu-chan," Ferio whispered softly by Fuu's bedside as she stirred. She watched him curiously; his head was in his hands, not looking at her. She saw that he had replaced his own wedding band and smiled at that. 

"Why?" she choked, and he looked up at her, smiling through the tears in his eyes.

"I betrayed you; I committed the worst of all sins. I wasn't strong enough – to protect you. Fuu-chan, what _didn't_ I do to apologize for?" he demanded helplessly, holding his hands out to her.

She squirmed painfully to her right and urged him to join her on the bed. He did so, tentatively, waiting to be rebuked, but she only kept on smiling at him, "Ferio, she was fighting with magic you couldn't possibly combat, but you did. You came back to me," now it was her turn for tears to fill her eyes, and before she knew it she had broken down, sobbing into his chest, as he held her close, whispering to her, promising never to let her go.

"Just don't ever make me leave them again Ferio," she begged, and he nodded.

"You'll never have to Fuu-chan, I promise you," and the vow rung true in his mind. He didn't care what it cost him; he would never desert his duties again. Never.

When it seemed she had cried it all out, and Ferio had calmed his nerves, he pulled away and stroked a strand of her hair, smiling softly, "You're beautiful."

"I must look awful," she informed him frankly, and he grinned.

"You never do," he answered and kissed her softly, then, when she insisted with her actions that she wasn't _so_ wounded, deepened the kiss.

She backed away for only a moment, to assure him he wasn't hurting her, but before she could pull him back into the embrace, he had reached under his shirt and pulled a ring from a chain around his neck, _her_ ring. "Fuu-chan, will you marry me?"

She laughed and nodded, allowing him to slip the ring onto her finger once more. Only then would he permit her to pull him down to her, and the rest of the night was spent in a soft embrace and warm memories.

* * *

Two days, and Umi had yet to recover, and the residents of Cephiro began to fear the worst. 

"She should have at least awoken by now," Ascot paced the room frantically. He had barely left her side except when Clef or Presea had shooed him out, but now it was for a different reason. He needed to _know_; in battle, everything had seemed so clear, so cut, but now that it was all over, the whole situation was hazy. He loved her still, but what feelings had been there were fading. He didn't know if he was ready to let them go, but he would if she asked him to; he would do almost anything if she asked him to, and for once in his life, he could see himself living it without Umi. He hated himself for thinking it, but it would be a relief to just be her friend, not have to constantly wonder if he was enough, if he pleased her. To pass that burden onto someone else would be…somewhat comforting. That thought stopped him dead in his tracks, _I don't love her anymore. I don't know when it happened, or why, but I've fallen out of love with her._ Guilt surged onto him, and regret, and a pain so profound he could barely breathe because of it. Yet, there it was, plain and simple; everything spelled out and put into a nice little bundle for him.

"Ascot?" Caldina's concerned voice broke his darkness, and he looked up to see his friend and mentor.

"I…just realized something," he admitted, and saw Clef's eyes narrow slightly. "About Umi and I…it's kinda hard to explain, but…I think that when she wakes up, I'm going to have to ask her to dismiss me."

"What?" everyone in the room demanded angrily, mouths agape.

"I…she…it's not what it used to be. I love her, but…I can't be her Protector. I need to be _me_ for once, just me," he answered, and saying it made another round of guilt wash up onto him. "I feel so selfish, so foolish, but…I don't want to be miserable, and I think it would be easier on everyone," here he sent a heated look at Clef who turned his head away. "If I took some time off, just to find out who I am."

Caldina was the first to respond. She strode forward and put her hands on his shoulders, "I think that would be very wise, and very mature of you Ascot," she told him solemnly, and he smiled weakly and thanked her.

All around the room were faces of surprise and horror, but it was Lantis and Eagle who were most greatly affected. Both of them were asking themselves the same question, _which of us should be the one to go?

* * *

_

"I don't _care_ what Ascot's doing!" Hikaru screamed in frustration. "What has gotten into you two? You can't leave me!"

"Lantis should stay," Eagle protested, carefully avoiding Lantis' eyes. "I betrayed you Hikaru; I endangered everything I care for. I don't find myself safe to be around, or fit to be a Protector."

"Eagle, your straying from me is what made you susceptible in the first place!" Hikaru shouted at him. "And Lantis, you want to leave as well? You're both being foolish, what is this all about?"

Surprisingly, Lantis was the first to speak, and Eagle let him have the lead, "It's because we both love you Hikaru-hime."

"Of course you do…" but Hikaru stopped, because she saw the desperateness in their eyes and realized that it was not what she thought. They both _loved_ her. _Oh no, _she thought to herself, but somewhere deep down she knew this day would have to come, eventually. _What do I do? I'm not cut out for this. I love them both! _"I love you both," she started, telling herself she might as well start with the truth. "I can't choose one of you; it would be like trying to choose between water and oxygen. I need both of you, in different ways. Eagle, I need you to be silly with, and Lantis, I need you to remind me of who I am. You're like night and day, but you're both so much alike. I don't understand my feelings for you, and I don't _want_ to. I just know that I love you both; why can't that be enough? Eagle, you wouldn't force Lantis to choose between your friendship and ours, and Lantis you wouldn't do that either, why would you make me choose between the two of you?"

Lantis and Eagle looked at each other for the first time in a long time, simply…looked. Their whole lives they had shared everything, training, swords, friends,would it be so hard to share a woman between them? It was…unconventional, yet…did either of them ever run their lives by convention? There would be no more jealousy, because they would both have what they wanted, everyone would win. There would be no more secret glances or hidden meaning; there would just be the three of them…

"We shouldn't," Lantis whispered, understanding the meaning he and Eagle had just stumbled upon.

Hikaru smiled, and she bit her lower lip. Carefully, she approached Eagle, who happened to be the closest and kissed him fiercely, then, not to leave him out, bestowed the same treatment onto Lantis. Unbelieving, she pulled them both into a tight embrace and smiled the warmest smile either of them had ever seen. The infectious action rubbed off on them, and they smiled at one another, truce agreed upon.

_This might just work, _Hikaru thought to herself and blushed softly, wondering silently about the sleeping arrangements they might have to come to. _Well,_ she thought boldly, _I never said I was as innocent as I seem…

* * *

_

Clef slipped into Umi's room on the fourth day of her unconsciousness. Ascot had left that morning; he said he knew that she would recover. He thought that his leaving would quicken that recovery, even though Clef wasn't entirely sure. Still, he knew he had to deliver the news to her, whether she heard him or not. It was his duty to tell her.

_Duty,_ he sighed to himself and sat by her bed, taking her hands in his, "Umi-hime," his heart soared, half expecting a response. When he got none, his expectations crumbled. "Ascot left this morning; he said that he needed to find himself. He says that he knows that you don't love him anymore, and he wants you to know that he understands, and he isn't angry. He says he knew he couldn't hold your spirit forever, that not the best summoner in the world could," he tried a stiff laugh, but she didn't even flinch. "Umi, come on, wake up."

No response.

"I know you can hear me, damn it, wake up," he hissed, squeezing her hands tightly between his. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you; I couldn't stop her. She had me under some sort of spell. I didn't want to; Umi, I love you more than anything in this world. If you don't come out of this I won't live. Please," before he knew it, he found he was crying silently, tears streaming down his cheeks. _Damn it,_ he thought to himself, Willing with every fiber of his being to see her beautiful blue eyes looking up at him.

"Clef," she choked, and his eyes flew open to see what he had been wishing for. Elation sprang into hisspirit like a fever; his whole body felt like it was floating. He had no thoughts in that moment; nothing, he was simply falling into her eyes. "Clef," she cried out, and he rushed to make her more comfortable, bringing her water and giving her a potion to heal some of the aches.

"I'm so sorry," he started again, but she silenced him.

"I know, I heard," she told him shortly, panting heavily in pain as she downed the potion. "I do understand, and…for all that I played strong, Clef, I wouldn't have done it. I couldn't have."

His eyes widened in shock, but fortunately for him, she continued, so he didn't have to respond.

"I love you too much," and then he realized that she wasn't talking about killing him; she was talking about leaving him. "It's selfish, and it's wrong, but Ascot didn't deserve a lie, and I'd been living it for so long. That day, in your study, you remember?"

He nodded numbly; he remembered it like it was yesterday. He had thought she was pouring her heart out to him because he was her Protector, the only one that was available for her to turn to, but now he realized it was because he was the one she meant, "Umi, I've always loved you," he admitted, throwing his inhibitions to the wind. Here was his Princess, crying in pain, mental and physical, and he'd be damned if he didn't take some of it away! "I never thought I could compete with Ascot, he was so pure, so talented, there was my age, the position, the stress, I was so closed to you, I thought that you, it could never…"

"Clef?" Umi knew he would go on if she didn't stop him right away

"Yes?" he looked up at her as if just realizing he wasn't making this confession to a brick wall.

"Kiss me," she ordered, and he grinned and did just that, reaching in and kissing her with the tenderness of a longtime lover. She savored the motion, and didn't stop him when he intensified it and came to lie with her.

* * *

"Umi-chan!" Hikaru ran to Umi and threw her arms around her, and Umi laughed gleefully, hugging the girl back as Fuu grabbed the both of them in a warm embrace. When all the apologies and greetings were through, they could finally sit down and just _be._

Ascot's presence was missed at the table, as Umi knew it would be missed for a long time, yet, she knew that he would be back, and they would be waiting with open arms. Cephiro was his home, and they were his family; he wouldn't run far before he figured that out and came home. She just hoped he came home with a beautiful girl on his arm with a heart that could tame the adorable Summoner. In the meantime, they would all bask in their newly acquired peace and await his return.

"What shall we do today?" Hikaru asked cheerily, and Umi laughed and tossed her hair.

"Well," Fuu grinned and met the eyes of her fellow rulers. "I suppose we should start by announcing to Cephiro that Shadow is gone."

"Oh yeah!" Hikaru yelled, and everyone at the table laughed as she blushed fiercely.

_This is peace, _Hikaru thought to herself.

_This is love, _Fuu smiled softly, giggling with the others.

_This is reality,_ Umi nodded firmly and turned back to the table, ready to meet the future with an open heart and the friends by her side.

A/n: Closing notes: Thanks to those of you have stuck with this story in the two years it took me to complete it, I hope I didn't dissappoint you! If I did feel free to flame or email me; I sorta disappointed myself. Thank you especially to all of you who have read and sent me encouraging email and reviews to keep me going even when I thought I'd just abandon it. I couldn't have done it without you, and I probably wouldn't have! The readers are really the ones to thank for the quality of fanfiction, without the support behind the authors we wouldn't strive to write anything of any worth whatsoever, so thank you so much. I don't know what I would do without you! And, finally, now that this story is finally over, I suppose I can let the big secret out...

Much love

Umi-chan


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